JP7350245B2 - Freshness preservation device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a freshness-keeping device provided for maintaining the freshness of contents in a storage container for storing or transporting contents such as fruits and vegetables, flowers, and other perishable foods.

Conventionally, in storage containers for storing or transporting items such as fruits and vegetables, flowers, and other perishable foods, circulation devices such as refrigerator units are used to circulate the air inside while adjusting temperature and humidity. However, the ethylene gas generated from fruits and vegetables accelerates the ripening and growth of fruits and vegetables, which may reduce the freshness of the stored items.

Therefore, as in Patent Document 1, air blown out from an air outlet provided on the front side of the bottom of a container (storage container) is taken into the casing from an air intake port and passed through an ethylene gas removal section provided within the casing. A freshness preservation device has been disclosed that is capable of adsorbing or decomposing ethylene gas contained in the air.According to this device, the ethylene gas inside the container can be absorbed or decomposed by using the circulation flow of air inside the container. Ethylene gas concentration can be reduced by adsorption or decomposition.

JP2016-90088A (Page 12, Figure 2)

However, in Patent Document 1, the casing of the freshness preservation device is provided in front of the air outlet provided at the front of the bottom of the container, which obstructs the designed circulation flow of air inside the container. There was a problem in that the freshness of some of the stored items deteriorated due to uneven air circulation within the container, which was exposed to the ethylene gas that remained around the stored items.

The present invention has been made with attention to such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a freshness maintaining device that can maintain the freshness of all contents contained in a storage container.

In order to solve the above problems, the freshness preservation device of the present invention has the following features:
A freshness maintaining device that is installed in a storage container in which a circulation flow of air is formed along the ceiling, sides, and bottom to maintain the freshness of stored contents,
The storage container is characterized by comprising a photocatalytic surface layer provided on at least one of the ceiling, the side, and the bottom along the circulation flow of air in the storage container, and a light source that irradiates the photocatalyst surface with light. .
According to this feature, the photocatalytic surface layer is excited by light irradiated from a light source and can adsorb or decompose ethylene gas generated from the stored contents, and this photocatalytic surface layer controls the circulation of air inside the storage container. Because it is installed along the flow, it is possible to evenly adsorb or decompose the ethylene gas that circulates inside the storage container along with the air, reducing the ethylene gas concentration inside the storage container evenly before storing it in the storage container. The freshness of all stored items can be maintained.

The photocatalyst surface layer is provided along the longitudinal direction of at least one of the ceiling, side, and bottom of the storage container.
According to this feature, since the circulating flow of air flows along the longitudinal direction of the storage container, by providing the photocatalyst surface layer along the longitudinal direction of the storage container, the circulating flow of air is used to create a photocatalyst inside the storage container. Ethylene gas can be efficiently adsorbed or decomposed over a wide range of areas.

The photocatalytic surface layer is provided on the ceiling and the bottom of the storage container.
According to this feature, in the storage container, a photocatalytic surface layer is provided on the ceiling and bottom where a circulating air flow is stably formed, so that the ethylene gas inside the storage container is generated using the circulating air flow. Can be reliably adsorbed or decomposed.

The photocatalytic surface layer is characterized in that it is formed by coating the base material of the fiber aggregate.
According to this feature, by using the fiber aggregate as a base material, the surface area of the photocatalyst surface layer to be coated can be increased, which makes it easier for ethylene gas to be adsorbed on the excited photocatalyst surface layer. Since the fiber aggregate has air permeability while increasing the gas decomposition ability, it is possible to maintain a suitable circulation flow of air inside the storage container.

The light source is characterized in that it is provided near a corner formed by the ceiling part and the side part of the storage container.
According to this feature, since the light source is provided near the corner formed by the ceiling and side portions of the storage container, the light source does not interfere with the circulation of air inside the storage container, and the storage container The surface layer of the photocatalyst can be irradiated with light without interfering with the loading and unloading of stored items.

The bottom portion has a plurality of rails extending in the longitudinal direction, and the photocatalyst surface layer and the light source are provided between the plurality of rails.
According to this feature, by providing the photocatalytic surface layer and the light source between the plurality of rails extending in the longitudinal direction at the bottom of the storage container, the photocatalytic surface layer and the light source can be protected from the stored items placed on the rails. At the same time, air circulation at the bottom of the storage container is not affected by the arrangement of stored items, and ethylene gas can be reliably adsorbed or decomposed by the photocatalytic surface layer provided between the rails.

The photocatalyst surface layer provided between the plurality of rails is characterized in that it is unitized with the light source.
According to this feature, by unitizing the photocatalytic surface layer provided between multiple rails with a light source, it is possible to easily install and remove the photocatalytic surface layer and light source between the rails, making it easier to install and maintain. can be increased.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a container in which a freshness maintaining device in Example 1 is provided. FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view showing the installation position of the freshness maintaining device in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the structure of a nonwoven fabric coated with a photocatalyst surface layer in Example 1. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the installation position of the freshness maintaining device in Example 1. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the circulation flow of air in the storage space of the container in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view showing the circulation flow of air in the storage space of the container in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the storage space of the container in Example 2 when viewed from the opening side. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of a container in Example 2. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of installing a freshness maintaining device in a duct space in Example 2.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The form for implementing the freshness preservation apparatus based on this invention is demonstrated below based on an Example.

A freshness maintaining device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Hereinafter, the lower left side of the page of FIG. 1 will be taken as the front side (front side) of the container in which the freshness keeping device is provided, and the description will be made based on the vertical and horizontal directions when viewed from the front side.

The freshness maintaining device is provided in a container 100 (storage container) for storing or transporting contents C such as fruits and vegetables, flowers, and other fresh foods. In this embodiment, a container 100 to which a unit cooler 110 (see FIG. 2) is attached will be described as an example of a storage container, but the storage container to which the freshness maintaining device is applied is an end wall type refrigerated container. It may also be a warehouse equipped with a refrigerator unit or a refrigerator unit.

First, the container 100 provided with the freshness maintaining device will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the container 100 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped that is elongated in the front-rear direction, and has a heat insulating material such as hard urethane between an outer plate and an inner plate that are entirely made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel. It is constructed by being filled with material. The container 100 also includes an opening 101 that opens to the front, and the opening 101 can be opened and closed by doors 102, 102.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front door 102, 102, the opposite end 103 of the rear face opposite to the door 102, 102, the upper ceiling part 104, the left and right side parts 105, 105, the lower bottom part 106 As a result, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped accommodation space S is formed inside the container 100.

The bottom part 106 of the container 100 includes a bottom material 106a (inner plate), and an aluminum alloy made of aluminum alloy that is provided on the upper surface of the bottom material 106a, extends in the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction), and is spaced apart and parallel to the left-right direction. It is composed of a plurality of rails 120, 120, . . . The rail 120 is composed of a base 120a whose lower end is fixed to the bottom material 106a and extends in the vertical direction, and a plate-shaped part 120b which extends in the left-right direction from the upper end of the base 120a, and has a T-shaped cross section. are doing. Note that the upper surfaces of the plate-like portions 120b, 120b, . . . of the plurality of rails 120, 120, .

Further, a duct space D, which is rectangular in front view and extends in the front-rear direction, is formed below the plate-like portion 120b of the rail 120, and is partitioned by the bottom material 106a of the bottom portion 106 of the container 100 and the adjacent rail 120. . The base 120a of the rail 120 has through-holes 120c (see FIG. 5) formed at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction, so that the left and right duct spaces D are connected to each other with the base 120a of the rail 120 in between. are communicating.

Next, the freshness maintaining device 1 provided in the container 100 will be explained in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the freshness maintaining device 1 is formed on the surface of a nonwoven fabric 20 (fiber aggregate) that is pasted along the front and rear directions of the ceiling 104 and side portions 105, 105 of the container 100. , a photocatalytic surface layer 2, and a plurality of light sources 3, 3, .

As shown in FIG. 3, the photocatalytic surface layer 2 is formed using a nonwoven fabric 20 as a base material, and is formed as a layer of TioSky Coat (registered trademark) coated on the surface of the fiber. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the nonwoven fabric 20 on which the photocatalytic surface layer 2 is formed is spread from the top surface material 104a (inner plate) to the side surface of the ceiling portion 104 constituting the accommodation space S of the container 100. By pasting it over the side material 105a (inner plate) of the container 105 in an L-shape when viewed from the front, it can be applied to a predetermined area including the corner formed on the upper side of the storage space S by the ceiling part 104 and the side part 105 of the container 100. It is provided. Note that the nonwoven fabric 20 on which the photocatalytic surface layer 2 is formed may be provided over the entire width of the ceiling portion 104 in the left and right direction. Further, the base material of the photocatalyst surface layer is not limited to a fibrous material, but may be a film or a plate material.

The photocatalytic surface layer 2 formed on the surface of the nonwoven fabric 20 has titanium oxide as its main component, and is excited when the surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light (UV light), and the photocatalyst surface layer 2 formed on the surface of the nonwoven fabric 20 is excited when the surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light (UV light), and the photocatalyst surface layer 2 is excited when the surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light (UV light). By adsorbing ethylene gas, it can be decomposed into water and carbon dioxide. The photocatalytic surface layer 2 can decompose organic matter, bacteria, viruses, etc. in addition to ethylene gas, and can also ensure high deodorizing and antibacterial properties in the accommodation space S of the container 100.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the light source 3 is a fluorescent tube (so-called black light) that emits ultraviolet rays, and is formed above the accommodation space S by the ceiling 104 and side 105 of the container 100. Both ends are supported by a pair of brackets 31, 31 extending from the upper side of the side part 105 toward the housing space S in the vicinity of the corner thereof, and a plurality of light sources 3, 3, . . . are provided at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. ing. Further, a reflecting plate 30 is provided diagonally downward in a direction away from the corner of the light source 3, and is disposed so as to face the ceiling part 104 and side part 105 of the container 100, and is supported by a bracket (not shown). Note that power is supplied to the light source 3 from a power source (not shown) that is different from the power source for the unit cooler 110. Furthermore, the light source may be an LED light source, LD light source, OLED light source, etc. as long as it can irradiate ultraviolet rays, and its shape is not limited to a tube shape, but may be a line shape, a seal shape, a tape shape, etc. Good too. Further, the wavelength of the light source 3 is not limited to ultraviolet rays, but may be matched to the reaction wavelength of the photocatalyst surface layer 2.

As shown by the arrow in FIG. 4, in the storage space S of the container 100, the ultraviolet rays UV irradiated from the light source 3 are reflected by the reflection plate 30, so that a nonwoven fabric 20 having a photocatalytic surface layer 2 formed on its surface is provided. A predetermined range including the corner formed on the upper side of the accommodation space S by the ceiling part 104 and side part 105 of the container 100 is set to be the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays UV by the light source 3. Note that the illumination range of the ultraviolet rays UV by the light source 3 may be set wider than the predetermined range in which the nonwoven fabric 20 described above is provided, for example, by adjusting the reflection angle of the ultraviolet rays UV by the reflector 30. Furthermore, although the number and installation positions of the light sources 3 in the container 100 may be adjusted as appropriate, it is important to ensure that the irradiation range of ultraviolet rays from the light sources 3 includes at least a portion of the photocatalyst surface layer 2 provided along the air circulation flow described later. For example, it may be provided on the ceiling portion 104.

Next, the circulation flow of air in the accommodation space S of the container 100 will be explained in detail. Note that the air circulation flow in this embodiment refers to the flow of air (cold air) that circulates through the accommodation space S of the container 100 due to the operation of the unit cooler 110.

As shown in FIG. 5, a ceiling-mounted unit cooler 110 is attached to the ceiling 104 of the container 100 on the rear side. The unit cooler 110 mainly includes an evaporator 112, a blower fan 113 disposed in front of the evaporator 112, and a housing 114 that accommodates the evaporator 112 and the blower fan 113. The evaporator 112 is connected to an outdoor unit (not shown) through a refrigerant pipe 111 inserted into the opposite end 103 of the container 100, and constitutes a refrigeration cycle.

As shown by arrows in FIGS. 5 and 6, the air in the accommodation space S of the container 100 is sucked in through the suction port 114b formed on the rear side of the casing 114 constituting the unit cooler 110 by the operation of the blower fan 113. After being cooled by heat exchange when passing through the evaporator 112, the air is blown out from the air outlet 114a formed on the front side of the housing 114.

The air blown out from the unit cooler 110 to the front side moves above the contents C along the ceiling 104 of the container 100, and then moves downward along the closed doors 102, 102 on the front side. , is sucked into the duct space D described above from the front end side of the rail 120 provided at the bottom 106, and moves rearward along the bottom 106.

The air that has moved rearward in the duct space D along the bottom 106 is blown out from the rear end side of the rail 120, moves upward along the opposing end 103, and enters the rear suction port 114b of the unit cooler 110. By being sucked in again from the air, a main circulation flow of air that forms a substantially section-shaped flow along the longitudinal direction of the accommodation space S is formed.

Further, a part of the air moving in the duct space D along the bottom 106 of the container 100 moves in the left-right direction through the through hole 120c formed in the base 120a of the rail 120.

In addition, the air on the lower side around the stored items C moves downward through between the stored items C arranged in the front, back, right and left, and is formed between the plate-like parts 120b of the adjacent rails 120 and flows in the front and back direction. The air is sucked in through the extending gap G (see FIG. 4) and joins the flow of air moving through the duct space D along the bottom 106 of the container 100, and the air on the upper side around the stored object C is arranged in the front, rear, left and right directions. It moves upwardly through between the stored items C, and joins the circulation flow of air that moves above the stored items C along the ceiling 104 of the container 100 described above.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, a part of the air blown out from the unit cooler 110 to the front side circulates along the side part 105 to the side of the stored object C, and part of the air flows to the door 102, 102. Air that wraps around the front side of the stored object C along the (not shown for convenience of explanation) and moves from above the stored object C along the ceiling section 104 to the downward side along the doors 102, 102. joins the circulating flow. Although not shown, a part of the air that circulates along the sides of the stored items C along the side portion 105 moves between the stored items C arranged in front and behind, and the air around the stored items C mentioned above moves. A flow of air that moves in the duct space D along the bottom 106 of the container 100 by moving upward or downward with the flow of air, or a circulating flow of air that moves above the contents C along the ceiling 104. to join.

In this way, the air around the stored items C is evenly circulated by the air circulation flow formed along the longitudinal direction of the storage space S of the container 100. Note that the container 100 is provided with a ventilation port (not shown), so that air in the accommodation space S can be appropriately supplied and exhausted.

According to this, as described above, the nonwoven fabric 20 constituting the freshness maintaining device 1 is attached to the ceiling part 104 and the side parts 105, 105 along the circulation flow of air in the accommodation space S of the container 100, and the nonwoven fabric 20 By providing a light source 3 that irradiates ultraviolet rays UV to the photocatalytic surface layer 2 formed on the surface of 20, the photocatalyst surface layer 2 is excited by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the light source 3 and adsorbs ethylene gas generated from the contained object C. Since this photocatalytic surface layer 2 is provided along the circulation flow of air in the accommodation space S, it is possible to evenly adsorb or decompose the ethylene gas circulating in the accommodation space S together with the air. It is possible to uniformly reduce the ethylene gas concentration in the storage space S and maintain the freshness of all the items stored in the storage space S.

In addition, since the air circulation flow flows along the longitudinal direction of the storage space S, the nonwoven fabric 20 having the photocatalyst surface layer 2 formed on the surface is provided along the longitudinal direction of the ceiling 104 and side sections 105, 105 of the container 100. By doing so, ethylene gas can be efficiently adsorbed or decomposed over a wide range of the housing space S using the circulating flow of air.

In addition, since the surface area of the photocatalytic surface layer 2 to be coated can be increased by using the nonwoven fabric 20 which is a fiber aggregate as a base material, the surface area of the photocatalytic surface layer 2 to be coated can be increased. Ethylene gas is easily adsorbed on the photocatalyst surface layer 2, and while increasing the ability of the photocatalyst surface layer 2 to decompose ethylene gas, since the nonwoven fabric 20 has air permeability, the circulation flow of air in the accommodation space S can be maintained appropriately. Furthermore, not only can the surface area be increased compared to coating a flat base material, but also the peeling of the photocatalyst surface layer 2 can be suppressed, and the decomposition ability of the photocatalyst surface layer 2 can be easily maintained for a long period of time.

Moreover, the nonwoven fabric 20 on which the photocatalytic surface layer 2 is formed is provided in a predetermined range including the corner formed on the upper side of the storage space S by the ceiling part 104 and the side part 105 of the container 100. Regardless of the arrangement and quantity of the contents C accommodated in the accommodation space S, ethylene gas is placed at a position that is easily irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the light source 3 and where a stable air circulation flow is formed in the accommodation space S. Therefore, the photocatalytic surface layer 2 can reliably adsorb or decompose the ethylene gas circulating in the storage space S together with the air.

In addition, the light source 3 is provided near the corner formed on the upper side of the accommodation space S by the ceiling part 104 and the side part 105 of the container 100, so that it does not interfere with the circulation flow of air in the accommodation space S. , and the photocatalyst surface layer 2 formed on the surface of the nonwoven fabric 20 can be irradiated with light without interfering with taking the contents C into and out of the container 100. Furthermore, the nonwoven fabric 20 on which the photocatalytic surface layer 2 is formed and the light source 3 constituting the freshness preserving device 1 are placed near the corner formed on the upper side of the accommodation space S by the ceiling part 104 and the side part 105 of the container 100. By providing this, damage due to contact with the stored items C can be prevented, and the stored items C can be stored without changing the designed loading surface and the upper limit of loading for the stored items C in the storage space S. .

Furthermore, the freshness preservation device 1 of the present invention decomposes ethylene gas by the photocatalytic surface layer 2 irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the light source 3 by utilizing the designed circulation flow of air in the storage space S of the container 100. Therefore, there is no need to make changes such as improving the air blowing performance of the circulation device of the refrigerator unit such as the unit cooler 110 attached to the container 100. Furthermore, since there is no need to supply and exhaust air to exhaust ethylene gas from the accommodation space S of the container 100, temperature changes in the accommodation space S can be suppressed, and the contents C accommodated in the accommodation space S can be Easy to maintain freshness.

Next, a freshness preserving device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. Incidentally, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent parts as those shown in the previous embodiment, and redundant explanation will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the container 200 (storage container) according to the second embodiment, the front and rear ends of the plurality of rails 120, 120, . . . A ventilation cover 230 extending in the direction is attached to each. The ventilation cover 230 is made of resin or metal and is formed in a net shape to ensure ventilation.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the duct space D is provided with a freshness maintaining device 201 extending in the front-rear direction. The freshness maintaining device 201 includes a holder 204 inserted into a duct space D, a photocatalytic surface layer 202 formed on the surface of a cotton body 220 (fiber aggregate) attached to the left inner surface of the holder 204, and a photocatalytic surface layer 202 formed on the surface of a cotton body 220 (fiber aggregate). The light source 203 is mounted on the right inner surface of the holder 204 to face each other, thereby forming a unit. The cotton body 220 is preferably made of metal fibers, resin fibers, vegetable fibers, etc., and is breathable.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the holder 204 is made of resin or metal and has a substantially C-shaped cross section that opens upward. It communicates with the gap G formed between 120b. Note that FIG. 9 shows a state in which one holder 204 is partially pulled out.

The photocatalyst surface layer 202 is made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel cotton material 220 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the holder 204 as a base material, and is formed as a layer of TIO SKY COAT (registered trademark) coated on the surface of the fiber. There is. Although not shown, the structure of the cotton body 220 coated with the photocatalyst surface layer 202 is substantially the same as the structure of the nonwoven fabric 20 coated with the photocatalyst surface layer 2 shown in FIG.

The light source 203 is an LED seal that extends in the longitudinal direction of the holder 204 and emits ultraviolet rays, and the irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays from the light source 203 covers at least the cotton body 220 that is accommodated in the holder 204 and on which the photocatalytic surface layer 202 is formed. It extends in the longitudinal direction and is set inside the holder 204, in other words, inside the duct space D.

According to this, by providing the cotton body 220 and the light source 203 on the surface of which the photocatalyst surface layer 202 unitized by the holder 204 is provided in the duct space D formed in the bottom part 106 of the container 200, the board of the rail 120 The light source 203 and the cotton body 220 on which the photocatalytic surface layer 202 is formed can be protected from damage from the contents C placed on the top surface of the shaped part 120b, and air circulation in the bottom part 106 of the container 200 can be prevented. is not affected by the arrangement of the contents C, and the photocatalytic surface layer 202 can reliably adsorb or decompose ethylene gas.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the air on the lower side around the stored items C moves downward through between the stored items C arranged in the front, back, left and right, and the air moves downward through the plate-shaped portions of the adjacent rails 120. The air is sucked in through the gap G (see FIG. 9) formed between the gaps 120b and extending in the front-rear direction, and joins the flow of air moving along the duct space D (inside the holder 204).

In this way, the freshness maintaining device 1 (the nonwoven fabric 20 with the photocatalyst surface layer 2 formed on the surface and the light source 3) provided on the ceiling 104 and the side parts 105, 105 of the container 200 keeps the ceiling 104 and the side parts 105, 105 In addition to adsorbing or decomposing ethylene gas in the circulating flow of air moving along The cotton body 220, the light source 203, and the holder 204) can adsorb or decompose ethylene gas in the circulating flow of air moving along the duct space D (inside the holder 204). It is possible to more efficiently adsorb or decompose ethylene gas by utilizing the circulating flow of air in the air, thereby reducing the ethylene gas concentration.

In addition, the photocatalytic surface layer 202 has a cotton body 220 which is a fiber aggregate as a base material, so that the surface area of the photocatalytic surface layer 202 to be coated can be increased. Ethylene gas is easily adsorbed on the photocatalyst surface layer 202, increasing the ability of the photocatalyst surface layer 202 to decompose ethylene gas, and since the cotton body 220 has breathability, the circulation flow of air flowing through the duct space D (inside the holder 204) is increased. The air circulation flow in the accommodation space S can be maintained preferably.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the freshness maintaining device 201 provided in the duct space D is constructed by unitizing the cotton body 220 on the surface of which the photocatalytic surface layer 202 is formed by the holder 204 and the light source 203. Since the freshness keeping device 201 can be easily installed and removed from the duct space D by moving the holder 204 as shown by the white arrow 9, it is possible to improve the workability and maintainability. Note that the freshness maintaining device 201 may be divided into a plurality of parts in the front-rear direction.

In addition, by attaching the ventilation covers 230 to both the front and rear ends of the plurality of rails 120, 120, ..., the rails can be used while maintaining a suitable circulation flow of air flowing in the duct space D (inside the holder 204) through the ventilation covers 230. The freshness maintaining device 201 can be prevented from being pulled out from both the front and rear ends of the device 120.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions that do not depart from the gist of the present invention are included in the present invention. It will be done.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the containers 100, 200 in which the freshness maintaining apparatuses 1, 201 are provided have air blown out from the unit cooler 110 along the ceiling part 104, so that air is blown out along the longitudinal direction of the storage space S. Although we have described a circulation method (so-called top flow method) in which air is circulated, the method is not limited to this, and the air circulation method in the storage space S of the containers 100, 200 is one that can circulate the air in the storage space S evenly. For example, by providing an air outlet at the lower end of the opposing end 103 of the containers 100, 200 and blowing air out along the bottom 106, the air can be freely configured. It is also possible to use a bottom flow system in which air is circulated through the air. Furthermore, air may be circulated along the width direction of the storage space S, such as a Cooltech container.

Further, in the first embodiment, the freshness maintaining device 1 (the nonwoven fabric 20 with the photocatalyst surface layer 2 formed on the surface and the light source 3) is provided on the ceiling 104 and the side parts 105, 105 of the container 100, and 2, a freshness maintaining device 1 (a nonwoven fabric 20 with a photocatalyst surface layer 2 formed on the surface and a light source 3) is provided on the ceiling 104 and side portions 105, 105 of the container 200, and a freshness maintaining device 1 (a nonwoven fabric 20 with a photocatalyst surface layer 2 formed on the surface and a light source 3) is provided in the bottom 106 (duct space D). In contrast, a mode in which a freshness preservation device 201 (a cotton body 220 on which a photocatalytic surface layer 202 is formed, a light source 203, and a holder 204) is provided has been described. It may be provided on any one of the door, the opposite end, the ceiling, the side, and the bottom. Note that the storage container provided with the freshness maintaining device may be a container, a warehouse, or the like that does not have a plurality of rails extending in the longitudinal direction at the bottom.

Moreover, the photocatalyst surface layer 2 may use the top surface material 104a of the ceiling part 104 of the container 100,200 or the side surface material 105a, 105a of the side part 105,105 as a base material. Further, the photocatalytic surface layer 202 may use the bottom surface material 106a of the bottom portion 106 of the container 200 or the lower surface side of the base portion 120a and plate-like portion 120b of the rail 120 as a base material.

Alternatively, the freshness maintaining device 201 may not include the holder 204 and may be integrated into a unit by covering the light source 203 with a cotton body 220 on the surface of which the photocatalytic surface layer 202 is formed.

In addition, the storage space of the container can accommodate not only fruits and vegetables, flowers, and other fresh foods, but also medicines, clothing, miscellaneous goods, etc. by utilizing the high deodorizing and antibacterial properties of the photocatalytic surface layer. It's okay.

1,201 Freshness maintaining device 2,202 Photocatalyst surface layer 3,203 Light source 20 Nonwoven fabric (fiber aggregate)
30 Reflector 100,200 Container (storage container)
101 Opening 102 Door 103 Opposing end 104 Ceiling 104a Top material 105 Side 105a Side material 106 Bottom 106a Bottom material 110 Unit cooler 120 Rail 120a Base 120b Plate portion 120c Through hole 204 Holder 220 Cotton material (fiber aggregate )
230 Ventilation cover C Contained object D Duct space G Gap S Contained space UV Ultraviolet rays

Claims (4)

A freshness maintaining device that is installed in a storage container in which a circulation flow of air is formed along the ceiling, sides, and bottom to maintain the freshness of stored contents,
A refrigeration cycle including an evaporator that supplies cooled air; A freshness preservation device comprising: a photocatalyst surface layer coated on the surface of a letter-shaped nonwoven fabric; and a light source that irradiates the photocatalyst surface layer with light. 2. The freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst surface layer is provided along the longitudinal direction of the ceiling part and the side part of the storage container. 3. The freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, wherein a photocatalytic surface layer is further provided on the bottom of the storage container. 4. The freshness maintaining device according to claim 1, wherein the light sources are each provided near a corner formed by the ceiling part and the side part of the storage container.

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