JPH03285668A - Food preservation vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a food preservation vessel capable of preserving food in an extremely good state by discharging only oxygen component in the vessel to outside of the vessel and simultaneously keeping inside of the vessel at negative pressure. CONSTITUTION:A separating means selectively passing only oxygen in composition of air and a sucking means sucking gas in a vessel through the separating means so as inside of the vessel to be a fixed negative pressure state are installed in a vessel receiving foods, e.g. preferably a freezer.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a food storage that can store foods such as vegetables and meat in a low-pressure state, and particularly relates to a food storage that is installed in a refrigerator. By using this in combination with the cooling preservation function of the refrigerator, the above-mentioned food can be preserved in an extremely good condition.

[Background of the invention]

Generally, when preserving food, the air surrounding the food has a large effect on maintaining its freshness.

By the way, the composition of air is 20.8% oxygen, 79% nitrogen,
0.03% carbon dioxide and trace amounts of other gases.

As a means of preserving food, so-called gas refrigeration is known, in which a gas having a composition different from that of normal air is passed into a storage chamber, and the food is kept at a low temperature in this atmosphere.

In other words, this gas refrigeration uses gas that increases the amount of scientifically inert substances such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas in the air and reduces the oxygen component. This decreases the amount of strawberries, slows down the ripening process, and reduces the amount of water that is shed, making it possible to store them in a fresh state for a long period of time.

In addition, in the case of meat, etc., the growth and reproduction of aerobic microorganisms are suppressed, and oxidation is also reduced, allowing for long-term storage as in the case of the above-mentioned fruits and vegetables.

As mentioned above, gas refrigeration is a storage method in which food is stored by controlling the air composition to a composition that suppresses respiration and by cooling the storage atmosphere.

Theoretically, food generally has a respiratory effect as mentioned above,
This is oxygen respiration, a phenomenon in which oxygen is taken into the body and fruit and vegetables oxidize and decompose their own sugars and organic acids, creating respiration energy and expelling carbon dioxide and water. For example, CG H+ 2 0G +602→6CO, +5
Hri ○C4H605+302-4CO2+3H20.

On the other hand, there is also a phenomenon called inorganic respiration, which generates energy by decomposing molecules that contain many oxygen atoms, such as sugars, without using oxygen in the atmosphere.
For example, C(, H+zO+;→2C2
It is expressed as H50H+2GO2, etc.

In any of the above cases, it is obvious that the freshness of the food is significantly reduced due to the consumption of sugar and acid through respiration.

It is against this background that gas refrigeration has been applied and a means of preserving the freshness of food for as long as possible has been proposed.

From the relationship between food and temperature, the biggest condition that affects the respiration of food is temperature; except for fruits and vegetables that are susceptible to low temperature damage, respiration rate is low at temperatures close to the freezing point (-1 to -2°C). is the minimum. For example, the respiration rate of apples stored at 0°C decreases to about 1710 compared to when stored at room temperature, and furthermore, when gas refrigeration is combined with this, the respiration rate decreases to about 1/20 compared to when stored at room temperature. . Therefore, gas refrigeration based on a combination of air composition and low temperature conditions is attracting attention as a method for long-term fresh preservation.

Based on the above background, for example, although it is possible to avoid storing food at low temperatures in household refrigerators,
Nothing has yet been proposed that has a function that takes into consideration the composition of the gas surrounding the food.

In the above refrigerators, the door opens and closes frequently (in home refrigerators,
For example, during the summer, the air inside the refrigerator is replaced (opening and closing an average of about 70 times per day in the summer), and controlling air components through the respiration of fruits and vegetables, for example, is ineffective, and carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas Even if air is added or adjusted, a very large amount of gas must be sent.
This requires a special gas generator, and
The structure of the refrigerator itself becomes complicated.

Therefore, the present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a food storage that can preserve food for a long period of time by reducing the concentration of oxygen components in the gas surrounding food. It is.

In particular, by placing the food storage in a refrigerator and using it in conjunction with the refrigerator's low-temperature storage function, food can be stored in extremely good condition for a long period of time.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the main means adopted by the present invention are as follows. and a suction means for suctioning the gas in the container through the separation means so that the container is at a predetermined negative pressure state.

[Effect]

In the food storage according to the present invention, only the oxygen component in the container containing the food is discharged to the outside of the container, and the inside of the container is in a low pressure state, which reduces the respiration rate of the food and the growth of aerobic microorganisms. Breeding is suppressed and the food can be stored for a long time.

Furthermore, by disposing the food storage in a refrigerator, food can be stored more effectively for a long period of time in combination with the low temperature storage function of the refrigerator.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. It should be noted that the following examples are examples embodying the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

Here, FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a refrigerator equipped with a food storage according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
a+ is a side sectional view, the same figure (bl is a sectional view showing the structure in the direction of arrow A in the same figure +al, the same figure (c+ is a side sectional view of the separating means constituting the food storage, the same figure + d+ is the above figure) A plan view of the separating means, FIGS. 2 and 3 are side sectional views of main parts showing the structure of a food storage according to other embodiments of the present invention, respectively.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the operation cycle of the food storage facility mentioned above.
Figure 5 is a graph showing the depressurization situation inside the container, Figure 6 +8+
, (bl is a graph showing the storage status of food in the example device and other devices, respectively.

In the refrigerator equipped with a food storage according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. has been done. The upper part of the container 2 is sealed by a partition plate 3 made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity, and the partition plate 3 is cooled by the cold air blown out from the cold air outlet 4. The space including the container 2 is configured to be indirectly cooled.

Above the container 2 and on the lower surface side of the partition plate 3, two functional membranes 5 (separation means) are arranged facing each other, with a spacer 6 in between. Its both sides are protected by a protective plate 8.8 in which a large number of ventilation holes 7 are bored.

The functional membrane 5 is made of, for example, cellulose acetate, and has the function of selectively passing oxygen, ethylene gas, etc. out of the air composition.

The functional membrane 5.5 is communicated with a vacuum pump 11 (suction means) via a communication hole 9. The vacuum pump 11 maintains a predetermined negative pressure within the container 2 (for example, -5
mmHg to -200mmHg),
It functions to suck the gas inside the container 2 through the functional membranes 5, 5, and is controlled by the control box 12 based on the pressure value inside the container 2 detected by the pressure sensor 10. .

In the figure, 14 is an exhaust muffler, and 13 is a compressor that constitutes a refrigeration cycle (not shown).

In this case, only one functional film 5 may be used and embedded in the side surface of the heat insulating wall of the box 1 (see FIG. 2).

A door 15 with good sealing performance is provided on the front surface of the container 2 so that it can be opened and closed freely. A valve mechanism 1 for making it easier to open the door 15 by setting the pressure to atmospheric pressure.
7 is provided.

In the valve mechanism 17, as shown in FIG. A disk-shaped flat plate part 20 is provided on the inside of the door 15, and a gasket 21 provided on the inner surface of the flat plate part 20 is pressed against the inside of the door 15.

Therefore, when opening the door 15, the communication button 18
By pushing inward against the elastic force of the spring 19, the gasket 21 of the flat plate portion 20 and the door 1
A gap is formed between the inside of the container 2 and the outside, and the inside of the container 2 and the outside communicate with each other through the gap 22, so that the inside of the container 2 is at atmospheric pressure. As a result, the above door 1
5 is in a state where it can be easily opened.

By attaching the container 2 integrally to the back side of the door 15 as shown in FIG. 3, the container 2 can be pulled out simultaneously with the opening operation of the door 15. It's okay.

In the device of this embodiment, when the opening of the door 15 is detected by a switch (not shown), the vacuum pump 11
When the operation of the vacuum pump 11 is stopped and the door 15 is closed, the vacuum pump 11 is controlled to be ready for operation.

The refrigerator according to this embodiment is configured as described above.

Therefore, in the refrigerator, first, when the vacuum pump 11 operates, oxygen, ethylene gas, etc. from the gas in the container 2 are selectively separated and sucked out by the action of the functional membrane 5. is discharged to. When the pressure sensor 10 detects that the pressure inside the container 2 has reached a negative pressure state of -200 mmHg, for example, the vacuum pump 11 is stopped.

In this state, outside air is again very gradually introduced into the container 2 through the small gap in the discharge valve (not shown) in the vacuum pump 11 and the functional membrane 5, and the pressure inside the container 2 is gradually reduced. It is raised to When the pressure sensor 10 detects that the pressure inside the pump 2 has become a negative pressure state of 110 mmHg, the vacuum pump 1
1 is operated again. FIG. 4 shows the operation cycle as described above.

As is clear from the figure, when vacuuming is performed through the functional membrane 5 as in the case of the device of this embodiment, the rate of evacuation is more rapid than when vacuuming is performed directly without passing through the functional membrane as described above. Pressure changes can be avoided.

In addition, in the case of the device of this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. In order to obtain
While a vacuum degree of 50 mmHH is required, it is clear that when passing through the functional membrane 5, a vacuum degree of -120 mmHH is sufficient. As a result, the capacity of the vacuum pump 11 can be reduced by about 20%, for example.

On the other hand, under the above conditions, the same degree of vacuum (150 mm
When compared with Hg), the oxygen concentration can be reduced by 16% when inhaled without passing through the functional membrane, and 15% and 1% when inhaled through functional membrane 5, which reduces the amount of oxidation to food. It is possible to reduce the impact of

In addition, in the same figure, the line diagram indicated by "both sides" is shown in Figure 1 f.
This is the case where suction is carried out through the functional membrane 5 having the structure shown in c), and "one side" corresponds to the case where one side of the functional membrane 5 of FIG. 1(c) is removed.

As described above, the inside of the container 2 is repeatedly controlled to a predetermined negative pressure state, and the inside of the container 2 is indirectly cooled through the partition plate 3, so that the food can be heated by the so-called vacuum puncture effect and the cooling effect. can be effectively stored for a long time. Incidentally, when the gas in the container 2 is sucked to the outside, the ethylene gas generated from the food is also discharged at the same time, so the food is stored in an extremely good condition.

In addition, since the vacuum pump 11 is stopped for a long time, continuous evaporation of water from the food is prevented, which is more effective in maintaining the freshness of the food.

A comparison of the preservation status of food by the preservation method using this device and the preservation method using other devices is shown in Figure 6 F8+, (b
Shown in l.

In the same figure, differential pressure reduced pressure storage is carried out, for example, at -10
In the case of storage controlled to maintain the temperature between mmHg and -200 mmHg, constant pressure and reduced pressure storage refers to the case where the inside of the container as described above is maintained at a constant degree of vacuum while constantly introducing outside air.

As is clear from the data shown in the figure, it is recognized that the storage method in the apparatus of this example is effective for both immature and mature plants. Moreover, the weight change is extremely small, and it is recognized that it is effective.

2 [Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention provides a container for storing food, a separation means for selectively passing oxygen among the air composition,
Since the food storage is characterized by comprising a suction means for suctioning the gas in the container through the separation means so that the inside of the container is in a predetermined negative pressure state, the gas surrounding the food is By lowering the concentration of oxygen components, food can be preserved for a long time.

In particular, by placing the food storage in, for example, a refrigerator and using the refrigerator's low-temperature storage function, food can be stored in extremely good condition for a long period of time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a refrigerator equipped with a food storage according to an embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing the structure of the viewing section, the same figure (C1 is a side cross-sectional view of the separating means constituting the food storage, FIG. +d) is a plan view of the separating means, and FIGS. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a main part showing the structure of a food storage according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a graph showing the operation cycle of the food storage; FIG. Figure 6 (a), (
bl is a graph showing the preservation status of food in the example device and other devices, respectively. [Explanation of symbols] 2... Container 5... Functional membrane (separation means) 11... Vacuum pump (suction means) 12... Control box

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A container for storing food; a separating means for selectively passing oxygen among the air composition; A food storage device characterized by comprising a suction means for suctioning the gas inside the container.