JPH02145130A - Vegetable-storing box - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store a vegetable in a fresh state for a long period by blowing fine amounts of air into a vegetable-storing container in response to an air composition in the container. CONSTITUTION:A vegetable 5 is stored in a vegetable-storing container 4 integrated with a door 8 and a silicone rubber-made flexible sheet 6 is disposed on the container 4 to form a space 9. An air composition in the air space 9 is detected with a sensor 11 and air-blowing pumps 10a and 10b are operated through a control device 12 in response to the value of the sensor 11 to gradually ventilate the air in the space 9 with fine amounts of air.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to a vegetable storage container that maintains the freshness of preserved vegetables by having a composition that allows the air in the container to quickly pass through the vegetable storage container. .

[Conventional technology]

When preserving vegetables, the storage temperature and air composition of the storage atmosphere are important factors. Generally, the closer the temperature of vegetables is to 0°C, the more the quality deterioration due to respiration is suppressed, and at the same time, wilting due to water evaporation and the activity of spoilage bacteria are suppressed, and the shelf life is extended. In addition, regarding the air composition of the storage atmosphere, the concentrations of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are important, and the optimum temperature is usually 90-95% RH.The optimal concentration of carbon dioxide varies depending on the type of vegetable. (for example, 6 to 9% for tomatoes), and under a higher than normal carbon dioxide concentration, the respiration of vegetables is suppressed, resulting in good preservation results. As for oxygen, at an appropriate concentration lower than normal, the respiration effect of vegetables is suppressed. Furthermore, ethylene generated by vegetables is harmful to vegetable preservation, and it is necessary to remove it.

A conventional example of a vegetable storage is shown in Fig. 3. In other words, the conventional vegetable storage includes a vegetable storage container 4 installed in a cooling space 1.
and a moisture-permeable filter 3 that covers the opening.

Water evaporates from the vegetables 5 stored in the container 4,
The inside of the container 4 is made to have high humidity. The moisture-permeable filter 3 has water vapor permeability, and due to the water vapor partial pressure difference between the air in the container 4 and the low-temperature, low-humidity cooling air 2 flowing in the cooling space 1, the excess moisture difference in the container 4 is released. This has the effect of keeping the inside of the container 4 at an appropriate humidity. As a result, the container 4 is kept at an appropriate temperature and humidity, allowing vegetables to be kept relatively fresh for a long time.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this conventional example, the preservation effect is achieved by keeping the inside of the vegetable storage container 4 at a relatively appropriate temperature and humidity, and in consideration of these circumstances, the air composition of the preservation atmosphere was not in a state suitable for preservation.
This invention achieves an air composition of a preservation atmosphere suitable for preserving vegetables with a relatively simple structure, and shortens the time required to reach that air composition, thereby preserving vegetables fresh for a long period of time. The challenge is to provide storage facilities.

[Means to solve the problem]

The vegetable storage of this invention includes a vegetable storage container 4 and the container 4.
A ventilation means 10 for ventilating the inside of the container little by little and the container 4
A sensor 11 for detecting the air composition in the air and the sensor 1
The control device 12 determines the amount of air blown by the air blowing means 10 according to the value of 1.

(Function) With the above structure, in the vegetable storage of the present invention, by storing the vegetables 5 in the highly airtight vegetable storage container 4, water vapor is generated by the activities such as respiration of the vegetables 5. However, if left as is, the oxygen concentration will drop more than necessary, which will have a negative impact on preservation. , ethylene generated from the vegetables 5 is also accumulated in the container 4 and has a negative effect on storage.Therefore, a sensor 11 is installed in the container 4 to detect the air composition.
is installed, and when the air composition reaches a certain value, the blowing means 10 is activated to perform micro ventilation. By doing so, since there is no air going in and out during the period when ventilation is not performed, the air composition suitable for preserving vegetables can be quickly reached, and after reaching the suitable air composition, the oxygen deficient can be compensated for by micro-ventilation, and the harmful It is possible to remove ethylene and maintain good conditions for preserving vegetables.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the subsequent device diagrams, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as in the conventional example, and explanations thereof will be omitted.

Example 1 The vegetable storage of this example has a door 8 as shown in FIG.
A vegetable storage container 4 integrated with a flexible sheet 6 made of silicone rubber, pumps 10a and 10b that ventilate the air in a space 9 in which vegetables 5 are stored little by little, and said space 9.
It consists of a casing 7 that houses a sensor 11 (here, an oxygen concentration sensor) that detects the air composition inside the pump, and a control device 12 that controls on/off of the pumps 10a and 10b based on the signal from the sensor 11.

FIG. 1(a) shows that the container 4 is pulled out and the vegetables 5 are
is stored, the seat 6 is placed above the container 4, the sensor 11 is placed below the seat 2, the pumps 10a, 10b and the control device 1 that controls them are placed.
2 is installed. (b) When the container 4 is housed in the casing 7 as shown in the figure, the sheet 6 covers the vegetables 5 to form a space 9 for storing the vegetables. The air composition in the space 9 is detected by the sensor 11, and when the oxygen concentration becomes less than 5%, the pumps 10a and 10b are activated by the control device 12 to ventilate the space 9 little by little. Further, the oxygen concentration in the space 9 is 5%.
If the above is reached, the control device 12 controls the pump 10a.
S 10b stops. As a result, the air composition in the space 9 can be maintained at a constant low oxygen concentration, and ethylene, which is harmful to vegetable preservation, can be removed through micro ventilation, so vegetables can be preserved fresh for a long period of time. can.

In addition, using a heat pump type cooler etc. (not shown),
If the inside of the space 9 is cooled by circulating the cooling air 2 outside the space 9 (cooling space 1), the effect of preserving vegetables will be further enhanced.

Embodiment 2 Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The vegetable storage according to the present invention has a gas separation membrane module 17 connected to the pumps 10a and 10b of the vegetable storage according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below. In FIG. 2(a), the vegetable storage container 4 has been pulled out and the vegetables 5 have been stored, and the sheet 6 is placed above the container 4 with a sensor 11 (in this case, an oxygen concentration sensor) that detects the air composition. ) is provided with pumps loa, 10b and a control device 12 for controlling them, and pumps 10a, 1 at the bottom of the seat 6.
A gas separation membrane module 17 connected to 0b is installed. The structure of the module 17 is such that a cylindrical gas separation membrane 17a is housed in a plastic cylindrical casing 17.
They are arranged in the same cylindrical shape within b. (b) in Figure 2
) As shown in the figure, when the container 4 is housed in the casing 7, the sheet 6 covers the vegetables 5, forming a space 9 for storing the vegetables.

Furthermore, since the gas separation membrane 17a does not selectively allow ethylene to pass through, the module 17 is of a double cylindrical type, so that the suction air 13 and the discharge air 16 can be separated from each other.
They are brought into contact via the gas separation membrane 17a.

When the vegetables 5 are stored in the container 4, the air composition in the space 9 changes to water vapor, water vapor, etc. due to activities such as respiration of the vegetables 5.
Carbon dioxide and ethylene are enriched, and oxygen is depleted. When the oxygen concentration becomes less than 5% and the sensor 11 senses this and operates the pumps 10a and 10b through the control unit 212, fresh intake air 13 from the surroundings is introduced into the container 4 from the pump 10a. At the same time, aged discharge air 15 in the container 4 is discharged. At this time, in the mosier 17,
Between the suction air 13, which has a low partial pressure of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ethylene and a high partial pressure of oxygen, and the discharge air 15, which has a high partial pressure of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ethylene, and a low partial pressure of oxygen,
Gas permeation occurs in the gas separation membrane 17a using the partial pressure difference between the respective atmospheric pressures as a driving force. Since the gas separation membrane 18 used in this example selectively permeates oxygen and does not selectively permeate ethylene, the air 14 flowing into the container 4 from the module 17 contains water vapor and carbon dioxide. The partial pressure of the container 4 is high (and the partial pressure of oxygen and ethylene is low), and the discharged air 16 has low partial pressures of water vapor and carbon dioxide, and the partial pressures of oxygen and ethylene are the same. The inside of the space 9 has a high temperature, high carbon dioxide concentration, and low oxygen charcoal making, and can maintain an air composition in which ethylene, which is harmful to vegetable preservation, has been removed.
When the oxygen concentration within the pump reaches 5% or more, the control section 12 stops the pumps 10a and 10b. With these,
Vegetables can be kept fresh for a long time.

Furthermore, if the inside of the space 9 is cooled by circulating the cooling air 2 outside the space 9 (cooling space 1) using a heat pump type cooler (not shown), the effect of preserving vegetables can be improved. It can be further enhanced.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the vegetable storage of the present invention, the sensor 11 for detecting the air composition is installed in the vegetable storage container 4, and when the air composition reaches a certain value, the blowing means 10 is activated to perform micro ventilation. Since there is no air going in and out during the period when ventilation is not performed, the air composition suitable for preserving vegetables is quickly reached, and after reaching the suitable air composition, the deficient oxygen is supplemented by micro-ventilation, and Because it removes harmful ethylene, vegetables can be stored fresh for a long period of time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are cross-sectional views showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views showing other embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.
...Cooling space, 2...Cooling air, 3...Moisture permeable filter, 4...Vegetable storage container, 5...Vegetables, 6...
Sheet, 7...Casing, 8...Door, 9...Vegetable storage space, 10...Pump, 11...Sensor
12... Control unit, 13... Intake air, 16... Discharge air, 17... Gas separation membrane module, 17a...
・Gas separation membrane. Figure 1 (a) (b) (b)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A vegetable storage container 4, an air blowing means 10 for ventilating the inside of the container 4 little by little, a sensor 11 for detecting the air composition inside the container 4, and a blowing means 10 for blowing air according to the value of the sensor 11. A vegetable storage cabinet comprising a control device 12 that determines the air volume.