JP7374482B2 - Racks and cooling equipment equipped with them - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rack that applies high voltage to an object and a cooling device equipped with the same.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, fresh foods such as vegetables, raw meat, seafood, and fruits have been frozen and preserved in order to maintain their freshness. Frozen preservation is performed by rapidly freezing the object to be frozen from room temperature to -35°C to -45°C in the freezing section. However, this method has a problem in that drips occur when the frozen object is thawed, resulting in the frozen object becoming watery. The occurrence of drips is caused by ice crystals inside cells expanding during freezing and destroying cell membranes. If the cell membrane is destroyed in this way, during thawing, water inside the cells flows out through the destroyed cell membrane, resulting in dripping.

Therefore, the present applicant has developed a continuous refrigeration system described in Patent Document 1, for example. In this continuous freezing device, a high voltage is applied to the object on the endless annular body to activate its constituent molecules, and the temperature ranges from room temperature to 0°C to -5°C based on the freezing point. By cooling the object to a temperature of 100°C, the temperature within the object is uniformized by supercooling the object without freezing, and then by rapidly freezing it to the freezing point of -40°C, the water inside the cell becomes enlarged. The object remains in the state of fine ice crystals, and the object is frozen without destroying the cell membrane.

Further, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses that a plurality of trays (bread cases) on which objects to be frozen are respectively placed are supported on a frame body arranged in a refrigerator, and a first electrode is placed directly above each tray and immediately below the bottom stage. An ultra-rapid freezing device is disclosed in which plates and second electrode plates are alternately arranged every other plate, a high-voltage AC potential is applied to the first electrode plate, and a ground portion is connected to the second electrode plate. In this ultra-rapid freezing device, when a high voltage alternating current potential is applied to the first electrode plate, an electric field whose direction is periodically reversed is created in the space between the first electrode plate and the upper and lower second electrode plates facing each other. A vertical electric field is generated and acts on the frozen objects on each bread case located in that space.

Patent No. 4853868 Registered utility model No. 3101162

In the ultra-rapid freezing device described in Patent Document 2, in order to apply an electric field to the frozen object on each tray, first electrode plates and second electrode plates are alternately arranged directly above each tray and immediately below the bottom stage. However, the structure is such that a high-voltage AC potential generator is connected to every other first electrode plate, and a ground portion is connected to the second electrode plate. Note that Patent Document 2 does not specifically describe the structure in which each electrode plate is connected to the high-voltage AC potential generator and the ground section.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rack that can easily connect electrodes and apply high voltage to a plurality of trays arranged side by side, and a cooling device equipped with the same.

The rack of the present invention is made of a conductor, and includes a plurality of trays in which a plurality of first trays connected to a first pole and a plurality of second trays connected to a second pole are arranged alternately, and the first It consists of a plurality of trays to which a high voltage is applied between a pole and a second pole, and an electrode that is made of a conductor, is constructed across the plurality of first trays, and connects the plurality of first trays to the first pole. The electrode is made of a conductor and has a plurality of hooking portions that are detachably hooked to the plurality of first trays, respectively.

According to the rack of the present invention, it is possible to connect the plurality of first trays to the first pole simply by installing the electrodes so that the plurality of hooking parts are respectively hooked to the plurality of first trays. , it becomes possible to apply a high voltage between the plurality of first trays connected to the first pole and the plurality of second trays connected to the second pole.

The rack of the present invention is made of a conductor, and includes a plurality of trays in which a plurality of first trays connected to a first pole and a plurality of second trays connected to a second pole are arranged alternately, and the first It consists of a plurality of trays to which a high voltage is applied between a pole and a second pole, and an electrode that is made of a conductor, is constructed across the plurality of first trays, and connects the plurality of first trays to the first pole. and an electrode made of a conductor and having a plurality of hooking portions on which the plurality of first trays are removably hooked, and the plurality of first trays are respectively fitted to the plurality of hooking portions. It is equipped with a fitting part.

According to the rack of the present invention, the plurality of first trays can be connected to the first pole by simply fitting the fitting portions of the first trays into the plurality of hooking portions of the installed electrodes. It becomes possible to connect the plurality of first trays to the first pole and to apply a high voltage between the plurality of second trays to be connected to the second pole.

The rack of the present invention also includes a first tray support made of an insulator and supporting a plurality of first trays, a second tray support made of a conductor and supporting a plurality of second trays, and a second tray support made of a conductor and supporting a plurality of second trays. a frame to which the first tray receiver and the second tray receiver are fixed; the plurality of first trays are connected to the first pole via the plurality of hooks and electrodes; Preferably, the tray is connected to the second pole via the second tray holder and frame. As a result, after the first tray is supported on the first tray holder and the second tray is supported on the second tray holder, the electrodes are attached so that the plurality of hooking parts are respectively hooked on the plurality of first trays. The first tray can easily connect the plurality of hooks and the electrodes by simply connecting the fitting portions of the first tray to the hooks of the multiple hooks of the installed electrodes. the second tray is connected to the second pole through the second tray receiver and the frame, and the plurality of first trays connected to the first pole and the plurality of trays connected to the second pole. It becomes possible to apply a high voltage between the second tray and the second tray.

(1) A plurality of trays made of a conductor, in which a plurality of first trays connected to a first pole and a plurality of second trays connected to a second pole are arranged alternately; An electrode consisting of a plurality of trays to which a high voltage is applied between two poles and a conductor, which is constructed across the plurality of first trays and connects the plurality of first trays to the first pole. According to the rack, the electrode includes a plurality of hooking parts that are removably hooked to the plurality of first trays, and the plurality of hooking parts are respectively hooked to the plurality of first trays. By simply constructing the electrodes so that the It becomes possible to apply a high voltage between the tray and the tray.

(2) A plurality of trays made of a conductor, in which a plurality of first trays connected to a first pole and a plurality of second trays connected to a second pole are arranged alternately; An electrode consisting of a plurality of trays to which a high voltage is applied between two poles and a conductor, which is constructed across the plurality of first trays and connects the plurality of first trays to the first pole. and an electrode having a plurality of hooking portions on which the plurality of first trays are each removably hooked, and the plurality of first trays are fitted into the plurality of hooking portions, respectively. According to the rack having a plurality of first trays, the plurality of first trays can be easily connected to the plurality of first trays by simply fitting the fitting portions of the first trays into the plurality of hooking portions of the installed electrodes. By connecting to one pole, it becomes possible to apply a high voltage between the plurality of first trays connected to the first pole and the plurality of second trays connected to the second pole.

(3) The rack includes a first tray support made of an insulator and supporting the plurality of first trays, a second tray support made of a conductor and supporting the plurality of second trays, and a second tray support made of a conductor and supporting the plurality of first trays. a frame to which the receiver and the second tray receiver are fixed, the plurality of first trays are connected to the first pole via the plurality of hooks and electrodes, and the plurality of second trays are , is connected to the second pole via the second tray holder and the frame, so that the first tray is supported by the first tray holder, and after the second tray is supported by the second tray holder, a plurality of Either the electrode is installed so that the hooking portions of the electrodes are hooked on each of the plurality of first trays, or the fitting portion of the first tray is hooked on each of the plurality of hooking portions of the installed electrode. By simply fitting into the section, it becomes possible to apply a high voltage between the plurality of first trays connected to the first pole and the plurality of second trays connected to the second pole.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the cooling device in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the internal structure of the cooling device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic right side view showing the internal structure of the cooling device in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view of the rack. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the rack. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part VIII in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of section IX in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the X section in FIG. 5. FIG. It is a perspective view of a rack. (A) is a perspective view of the electrode unit seen from the front side, and (B) is a perspective view seen from the back side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the electrode unit is installed on a rack. It is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the cooling device in the 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic front view showing the internal structure of the cooling device in the 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic right view which shows the internal structure of the cooling device in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a front view of the rack. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the rack. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of the first pole unit. It is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of a 2nd pole unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the rack is advanced toward the first pole unit and the second pole unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the rack is connected to a first pole unit and a second pole unit. FIG. 3 is a right side view showing the internal structure of the rack connected to the first pole unit and the second pole unit.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of a cooling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic front view, and FIG. 3 is a schematic right side view. In this specification, the term "front" indicating direction refers to the lower side with reference to FIG. 1, and the term "rear" refers to the upper side with reference to FIG. 1. Furthermore, "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" refer to the upper side, lower side, left side, and right side, respectively, with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a cooling device 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling chamber 2 that is insulated from the outside, and a rack 3 in which objects to be cooled are stored. It has an electrode unit 13 that is installed, a cooler 4 that cools the air in the refrigerator 2, and a cooling fan 5 that sucks the air in the refrigerator 2 and sends it to the cooler 4. An opening/closing door 6 for taking objects to be cooled into and out of the rack 3 is provided at the front of the cooling device 1A. Further, a high voltage generator 7 connected to the electrode unit 13 is provided at the upper part of the cooling device 1A.

The high voltage generator 7 is a device that generates a high voltage, for example, a DC pulse voltage of 800V to 10000V, more preferably 3000V to 7000V, and even more preferably 4000V to 5000V. The DC pulse voltage is one in which high voltage application and non-application are repeated intermittently at intervals of 0.001 seconds to 0.2 seconds. Alternatively, the high voltage generator 7 may be a device that generates an AC voltage (frequency: 50 Hz to 500 Hz) of, for example, 800 to 10,000 V, more preferably 3,000 to 7,000 V, and even more preferably around 3,500 V. The voltage value and frequency of the high voltage generator 7 are changed depending on the object to be cooled.

4 is a front view of the rack 3, FIG. 5 is a right side view, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along VI-VI in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along VII-VII in FIG. 4, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of section VIII in FIG. , FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the IX section in FIG. 4, FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the X section in FIG. 5, FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the rack 3, FIG. B) is a perspective view seen from the back side, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the state in which the electrode unit 13 is installed on the rack 3.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rack 3 includes a frame 10 fixed in the refrigerator 2, a plurality of first trays 11 and a plurality of second trays arranged alternately in the vertical direction with respect to the frame 10. It has a tray 12 and an electrode unit 13 installed across the plurality of first trays 11. The frame 10, the first tray 11, the second tray 12, and the electrode 13A of the electrode unit 13, which will be described later, are made of a conductor such as stainless steel, steel, or aluminum alloy. The electrode 13A is connected to a positive electrode as a first electrode via the high voltage cable 14, that is, in this embodiment, connected to the output terminal of the high voltage generator 7.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 11, the frame 10 includes a main body 10A formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped using, for example, an angle material, and legs provided at the bottom of the main body 10A and fixed in the refrigerator 2. 10B. Inside the main body 10A, a first tray receiver 15 that supports the left and right ends of the plurality of first trays 11, respectively, and a second tray receiver 16 that supports the left and right ends of the plurality of second trays 12 are arranged vertically. fixed in alternating directions.

The first tray receiver 15 is made of an insulator such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHPE) or polyacetal (POM). The first tray 11 supported by the first tray receiver 15 is insulated from the frame 10, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the second tray receiver 16 is made of a conductor such as stainless steel, steel, or aluminum alloy. As shown in FIG. 9, the second tray 12 supported by the second tray receiver 16 is electrically connected to the frame 10 and connected to the negative electrode as the second electrode through the frame 10, that is, in the present embodiment. is grounded by a grounding wire 17.

The first tray 11 and the second tray 12 are inserted into the frame 10 with objects to be cooled placed on their respective bottoms 11A and 12A. A large number of openings 11B, 12B are provided in the bottom parts 11A, 12A. Air sucked by the cooling fan 5, sent to the cooler 4, and cooled by the cooler 4 circulates up and down in the refrigerator 2 through these openings 11B and 12B.

The first tray 11 and the second tray 12 can be inserted into the frame 10 by sliding them on the first tray receiver 15 and the second tray receiver 16 from the front to the rear of the frame 10, respectively. When the second tray 12 is inserted deep into the frame 10, it fits within the frame 10, but the first tray 11 projects forward from the frame 10. That is, although the details will be described later, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the electrode units 13 are attached to the plurality of first trays 11, there is a gap between the electrode units 13 and the plurality of second trays 12. The electrode 13A of the electrode unit 13 and the plurality of second trays 12 do not contact and are not electrically connected.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 10, and 12, the electrode unit 13 is constructed so as to span the plurality of first trays 11, and has electrodes connected to the output terminal of the high voltage generator 7 via the high voltage cable 14. 13A, a plurality of hook parts 13B that are removably hooked to the plurality of first trays 11, a support part 13C that supports the electrode 13A, and a handle for gripping by hand when attaching the electrode unit 13. 13D. The hook portion 13B is made of a conductor such as stainless steel, iron steel, or aluminum alloy, and is in electrical continuity with the electrode 13A. The support portion 13C and the handle portion 13D are made of an insulator such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHPE) or polyacetal (POM). The hook portion 13B is made of a spring material, and as shown in FIG. 10, is fixed to the electrode 13A by a bolt 13E made of a conductor such as stainless steel, steel, or aluminum alloy.

In the cooling device 1A having the above configuration, after the objects to be cooled are placed on the plurality of first trays 11 and the plurality of second trays 12, the objects are placed on the plurality of first trays 11 and the plurality of second trays 12 through the opening/closing door 6. 12 are placed alternately on the first tray receiver 15 and the second tray receiver 16 in the rack 3 (see FIG. 11). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13, the electrode units 13 are installed on the plurality of first trays 11. The electrode unit 13 is installed by grasping the handle part 13D and inserting it from above so that the plurality of hook parts 13B are hooked on the front wall parts 11C of each of the plurality of first trays 11.

As a result, the electrode unit 13 is fixed to the front wall portion 11C of each of the plurality of first trays 11 due to the restoring force of the hook portion 13B, the electrode 13A and the plurality of first trays 11 are brought into electrical conduction, and the plurality of first trays 11 are electrically connected. 1 tray 11 and the output terminal of the high voltage generator 7 are connected. On the other hand, simply by placing the plurality of second trays 12 on the second tray receiver 16, the plurality of second trays 12 are grounded by the ground wire 17 via the second tray receiver 16 and the frame 10.

As described above, in the rack 3 according to the present embodiment, the plurality of first trays 11 can be easily attached to the plurality of first trays 11 by simply installing the electrode unit 13 so that the plurality of hooking parts 13B are respectively hooked to the plurality of first trays 11. is connected to the output terminal of the high voltage generator 7 to apply a high voltage between the plurality of first trays 11 and the plurality of second trays 12. According to the cooling device 1A equipped with this rack 3, a high voltage of 800V to 10,000V is applied to the object to be cooled to activate its constituent molecules, and the temperature ranges from normal temperature to 0° C. with respect to the freezing point. By cooling the object to a temperature in the range of -5℃, the temperature within the object is uniformized by supercooling the object without freezing, and then by rapid freezing to the freezing point of -40℃, cell membrane It becomes possible to freeze the object to be cooled without destroying it.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of a cooling device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 15 is a schematic front view, and FIG. 16 is a schematic right side view. Note that, in the following, parts common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, a cooling device 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a rack 8 equipped with casters 9 for movement in place of the rack 3 described above. Furthermore, a first pole unit 21 connected to the first tray 11 housed in the rack 8 and a second pole unit 22 connected to the frame 20 of the rack 8 are provided in the refrigerator 2 .

17 is a front view of the rack 8, FIG. 18 is a right side view, FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of the first pole unit 21, FIG. 20 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of the second pole unit 22, FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing how the rack 8 is advanced toward the first pole unit 21 and the second pole unit 22, and FIG. 22 shows the state in which the rack 8 is connected to the first pole unit 21 and the second pole unit 22. FIG. 23 is a right side view showing the internal structure of the rack 8 connected to the first pole unit 21 and the second pole unit 22.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the rack 8 includes casters 9 for movement at the bottom of a frame 20 in which a plurality of first trays 11 and a plurality of second trays 12 are accommodated. The frame 20 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape by, for example, an angle material made of a conductor such as stainless steel, iron steel, or an aluminum alloy. Inside the frame 20, there are first tray supports 15 that support the left and right ends of the plurality of first trays 11, respectively, and second tray supports 16 that support the left and right ends of the plurality of second trays 12 in the vertical direction. are fixed alternately.

As shown in FIG. 19, the first pole unit 21 includes a plurality of electrodes 21A, which are installed across the plurality of first trays 11, and are connected to the output terminal of the high voltage generator 7 via the high voltage cable 14. Each of the first trays 11 has a hook portion 21B to which the first tray 11 is detachably hooked. The hook portion 21B is made of a spring material and is fixed to the electrode 21A by a bolt 21C made of a conductor such as stainless steel, steel, or aluminum alloy. The first pole unit 21 is fixed in the refrigerator 2 so as not to move.

On the other hand, at the rear of the first tray 11, as shown in FIG. 18, a tongue piece 11D is provided as a fitting part that fits into the hook part 21B. The electrode 21A, the hook portion 21B, and the tongue piece 11D are made of a conductor such as stainless steel, iron steel, or aluminum alloy. When the tongue piece 11D is fitted into the hook portion 21B, the first tray 11 is brought into conduction with the electrode 21A. Become.

The second pole unit 22 includes an electrode 22A connected to the ground wire 17 and a hook portion 22B to which the frame 20 is detachably hooked. The hooking portion 22B is made of a spring material and is fixed to the electrode 22A by a bolt 22C made of a conductor such as stainless steel, steel, or aluminum alloy. The second pole unit 22 is fixed in the refrigerator 2 so as not to move.

On the other hand, at the rear of the frame 20, as shown in FIG. 18, a tongue piece 20A is provided as a fitting part that fits into the hook part 22B. The electrode 22A, the hook 22B, and the tongue 20A are made of a conductor such as stainless steel, steel, or aluminum alloy. When the tongue 20A fits into the hook 22B, the frame 20 becomes electrically conductive with the electrode 22A and is grounded. It is grounded by line 17.

In the cooling device 1B having the above configuration, the objects to be cooled are placed on the plurality of first trays 11 and the plurality of second trays 12, and then placed on the first tray receiver 15 and the second tray receiver 16 in the rack 8. place Then, as shown in FIG. 21, the rack 8 is advanced into the refrigerator 2, and as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the tongue pieces 11D of the plurality of first trays 11 and the tongue pieces 20A of the frame 20 are respectively The rack 8 is pushed in until it fits into the hook portion 21B of the pole unit 21 and the hook portion 22B of the second pole unit 22.

As a result, the plurality of first trays 11 are electrically connected to the electrode 21A via the tongue piece 11D, and the plurality of first trays 11 and the output terminal of the high voltage generator 7 are connected. On the other hand, the frame 20 is electrically connected to the electrode 22A via the tongue piece 20A, and is grounded by the ground wire 17.

In this way, in the rack 8 according to the present embodiment, the plurality of first trays can be easily assembled by simply fitting the tongue pieces 11D of the first tray 11 into the plurality of hooking parts 21B of the installed electrodes 21A. 11 to the output terminal of the high voltage generator 7, it becomes possible to apply a high voltage between the plurality of first trays 11 and the plurality of second trays 12. In the cooling device 1B equipped with this rack 8, a high voltage of 800V to 10,000V is applied to the object to be cooled to activate its constituent molecules, and the temperature ranges from room temperature to 0°C to freezing point. By cooling the object to a temperature in the range of -5℃, the temperature within the object is uniformized by supercooling the object without freezing, and then by rapid freezing to a temperature between the freezing point and -40℃, the cell membrane is It becomes possible to freeze the object to be cooled without destroying it.

The rack of the present invention is useful as a device that applies a high voltage to an object, and is particularly suitable for a cooling device that applies a high voltage to a frozen object to cool it.

1A, 1B Cooling device 2 Cooling cabinet 3, 8 Rack 4 Cooler 5 Cooling fan 6 Door 7 High voltage generator 9 Casters 10 Frame 10A Main body 10B Legs 11 1st tray 11A Bottom 11B Opening 11C Front wall 11D Tongue piece 12 Second tray 13 Electrode unit 13A Electrode 13B Hanging part 13C Support part 13D Handle part 13E Bolt 14 High voltage cable 15 First tray receiver 16 Second tray receiver 17 Ground wire 20 Frame 20A Tongue piece 21 First pole unit 21A , 22A electrode 21B, 22B hooking part 21C, 22C bolt 22 2nd pole unit

Claims (3)

A plurality of trays are made of a conductor, and a plurality of first trays connected to a first pole and a plurality of second trays connected to a second pole are alternately arranged, and the first pole and the second tray are arranged alternately. a plurality of trays to which a high voltage is applied between the poles;
An electrode made of a conductor and installed across the plurality of first trays to connect the plurality of first trays to the first pole, and made of a conductor and removably hung on each of the plurality of first trays. an electrode having a plurality of hooks to be stopped ;
a first tray support made of an insulator and supporting the plurality of first trays;
a second tray support made of a conductor and supporting the plurality of second trays;
a frame made of a conductor and to which the first tray holder and the second tray holder are fixed;
has
The plurality of first trays are connected to the first pole via the plurality of hooking parts and the electrode,
In the rack , the plurality of second trays are connected to the second pole via the second tray holder and the frame. A plurality of trays are made of a conductor, and a plurality of first trays connected to a first pole and a plurality of second trays connected to a second pole are alternately arranged, and the first pole and the second tray are arranged alternately. a plurality of trays to which a high voltage is applied between the poles;
An electrode made of a conductor and installed across the plurality of first trays to connect the plurality of first trays to the first pole, and an electrode made of a conductor and attached to each of the plurality of first trays in a removable manner. an electrode having a plurality of hooks to be stopped ;
a first tray support made of an insulator and supporting the plurality of first trays;
a second tray support made of a conductor and supporting the plurality of second trays;
a frame made of a conductor and to which the first tray holder and the second tray holder are fixed;
has
The plurality of first trays are connected to the first pole via the plurality of hooking parts and the electrode,
The plurality of second trays are connected to the second pole via the second tray receiver and the frame,
A rack in which the plurality of first trays each include a fitting portion that fits into the plurality of hooking portions. A cooling device comprising the rack according to claim 1 or 2 .