JPH0611241A - Cooling storage case - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a cooling storage case for which an alarm is surely given when the blower is immersed in water due to the defective drainage of the waste water receiving part, without providing a special sensor. CONSTITUTION:A waste water receiving part 2 is constituted under a main body 6. A blower 18 is provided in the waste water receiving part 2. A discharge air temperature sensor 27 and suction air temperature sensor 28 are provided. The suction air temperature sensor 28 is attached lower than the blower 18. The temperature in a case 11 is controlled based on the outputs of both sensors 27, 28. The immersion of the blower 18 under water is detected conforming to the variation of the output condition of the suction air temperature sensor 28, and an alarm is emitted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling storage in which a blower is arranged in a waste water receiving portion formed in a lower portion of a main body, and air exchanged with a cooler by the blower is circulated in the cold storage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a cooling storage of this kind, particularly in an open showcase, a cooler is vertically installed in a duct formed inside a heat insulating wall having a substantially U-shaped cross section and a lower part of the heat insulating wall is provided. A waste water receiving portion is provided for receiving and discharging defrost water from the cooler and miscellaneous waste water from the inside of the refrigerator. An air blower is arranged in the waste water receiving part, and the air exchanged with the cooler is discharged from the discharge port formed in the upper opening of the front of the main body into the storage by the operation of the blower, and the suction formed in the lower part of the opening It forms a forced circulation of air that is drawn in through the mouth.

Further, the temperature control in the refrigerator is based on the outputs of a discharge air temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of discharge air discharged into the refrigerator and a suction air temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of suction air returning from the refrigerator. Was being done.

[0004]

The defrosting water and miscellaneous wastewater received by the wastewater receiving portion contain a large amount of food scraps and other dusts. When these dusts are accumulated in the wastewater receiving part, clogging occurs in the drainage path, resulting in poor drainage. When the water level of the wastewater in the wastewater receiving portion rises due to such defective drainage, the blower arranged in the wastewater receiving portion is eventually submerged and an electric leakage failure occurs.

Conventionally, in order to detect the rise of the water level in the wastewater receiving part, a capacitance sensor for detecting the water level by the change of the capacitance due to submersion in water is provided, or the water level is detected by the light reflected on the water surface. There was a plan to install an optical sensor, but it is difficult to reliably detect a rise in the water level due to the influence of oil on the wastewater surface and foreign matter in the wastewater,
In any case, there is a problem that a special water level sensor must be provided.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, and can reliably warn the submersion of a blower due to defective drainage of a wastewater receiving portion without providing a special sensor. It aims at providing the cooling storage which can be performed.

[0007]

The cooling storage of the present invention comprises:
The wastewater receiving part 2 is formed in the lower part of the main body 6, and the wastewater receiving part 2
The air blower 18 is disposed in the inside of the refrigerator, and the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 15 is circulated in the inside 11 by the blower 18, and a discharge air temperature sensor 27 that detects the temperature of the discharge air into the inside 11, A suction air temperature sensor 28, which is installed below the blower 18 and detects the temperature of suction air from the inside 11, and a temperature control unit 31 which controls the temperature of the inside 11 based on the outputs of both sensors 27, 28. An alarm controller 33 that detects submersion in water based on a change in the output state of the intake air temperature sensor 28 and issues an alarm is provided.

[0008]

The temperature control unit 31 controls the temperature of the inside 11 on the basis of the outputs of the discharge air temperature sensor 27 and the suction air temperature sensor 28. When dust accumulates in the wastewater receiver 2 and the wastewater is no longer discharged and the water level rises, the suction air temperature sensor 28 installed below the blower 18 eventually.
Will be submerged in water. The suction air temperature sensor 28 detects the temperature of the suction air until it is submerged in water, and the output changes based on the temperature change, but when it is submerged in water, the temperature of the waste water comes to be detected. Here, since the heat capacity of water is larger than that of air, the degree of change is extremely slow. Therefore, when the suction air temperature sensor 28 is submerged in water, the change in the output becomes extremely slow, and the alarm control unit 33 detects the submersion of the suction air temperature sensor 28 due to the rise in the level of the waste water from the change in the output state, and issues an alarm. Emit. Here, since the suction air temperature sensor 28 is located below the blower 18, the alarm is issued before the blower 18 is submerged in water.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view of an open showcase 1 as an embodiment of a cooling storage of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a wastewater receiving portion 2 of the open showcase 1. The main body 6 of the open showcase 1 is composed of a heat insulating wall 4 having an opening 3 on the front surface and having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and the upper surface of the bottom wall 7 of the heat insulating wall 4 is inclined low toward the drain hole 8, The wastewater receiving part 2 is formed there. A partition plate 9 is attached to the inside of the heat insulating wall 4, a duct 12 extending from the back to the top is formed between the partition plate 9 and the heat insulating wall 4, and food is displayed and sold in the partition plate 9. The inside 11 is constructed with a plurality of shelves 13. Further, the inside 11 and the waste water receiving portion 2 are partitioned by a bottom plate 14 having the same height as the lower edge of the opening 3.

A cooler 15 included in a cooling device is vertically installed in the duct 12 at the back part, and a fan casing 16 is provided on the wastewater receiving part 2 below the bottom plate 14 and inside the fan casing 16. The lower end of the duct 12 in the back portion communicates with each other, thereby partitioning the inside of the fan casing 16 to the duct 12 in which the cooler 15 exists from the outside of the fan casing 16. As shown in FIG. 2, a through hole 17 that communicates the inside and outside of the fan casing 16 is formed on the upper surface of the fan casing 16, and a fan 18 is attached to the inside of the fan casing 16 corresponding to the through hole 17. . The blower 18 is composed of a motor 19 and a fan 21 attached to the upper end of the motor 19 and located in the through hole 17 portion, and the edge of the through hole 17 is formed by brackets 22 and 22 supporting the lower end of the motor 19. It is fixed to.

A discharge port 24 communicating with the duct 12 is formed at the upper edge of the opening 3, and a suction port 26 communicating with the through hole 17 of the fan casing 16 is formed at the lower edge of the opening 3. A discharge air temperature sensor 27 is mounted in the duct 12 behind the discharge port 24, and a suction air temperature sensor 28 located above the waste water receiving portion 2 is provided at a lower end portion of the bracket 22 supporting the motor 19. Is attached. Both sensors 27, 28 are composed of transistor sensors having excellent water resistance, and change their resistance values according to the ambient temperature. In particular, the intake air temperature sensor 28 detects the air from the blower 18. It is located below the motor 19 on the downstream side.

Next, the operation of the open showcase 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 shows a block diagram of the electric circuit of the open showcase 1, and FIG. 4 shows the discharge air temperature TD output by the discharge air temperature sensor 27,
The time transition of the suction air temperature TR which the suction air temperature sensor 28 outputs is shown. In FIG. 3, a control device 30 configured by a general-purpose microcomputer includes a temperature control unit 31 and an alarm control unit 33 as its functions, and the control device 30 includes the discharge air temperature sensor 2
7 and the output of the intake air temperature sensor 28, and a setting device 3 for setting the set temperature TS of the inside 11
The output of 2 is input. Further, a motor 19 of the blower 18 and a compressor 34 that constitutes a cooling device together with the cooler 15 are connected to the output of the control device 30, and further,
An alarm device 36 including a buzzer or a lamp is connected.

When the power is turned on, the temperature controller 31 of the controller 30 operates the motor 19 of the blower 18 to drive the fan 2
1 is rotated and the air outside the fan casing 16 is sucked into the fan casing 16, and the suction air temperature sensor 28
After passing through the portion, it is sent to the cooler 15, where heat is exchanged with the cooler 15, and thereafter, the inside of the duct 12 is raised, and the discharge air temperature sensor 27 portion is passed and discharged from the discharge port 24 to the inside 11. The air circulated in the chamber 11 is the suction port 2
6 returns to the blower 18, thereby forming an air curtain in the opening 3 and cooling the inside 11 of the refrigerator.

Here, assuming that the setter 32 sets, for example, + 11 ° C. as the set temperature TS of the inside 11 of the refrigerator, the temperature control section 31 determines the temperature based on the discharge air temperature TD and the suction air temperature TR. Is the average value of (TD
+ TR) / 2 + α = TK, the calculated value TK of the temperature inside the refrigerator 11 is calculated, and the operation of the compressor 34 is controlled so that the calculated value TK matches the set temperature TS as an average (α is Offset value). That is, the temperature control unit 31 determines that the discharge air temperature TD output by the discharge air temperature sensor 27 is +1.
When the intake air temperature TR output from the intake air temperature sensor 28 becomes 0 ° C., + 15 ° C., the compressor 34 is started, the discharge air temperature TD is + 6 ° C., and the intake air temperature TR is + 14 ° C.
Then, the compressor 34 is stopped. By such control, the discharge air temperature TD and the suction air temperature TR have a differential ΔT of 4 as shown on the left side in FIG.
The cycle of rising and falling of ℃ and 1 ℃ is repeated, whereby the calculated value TK is + 10 ℃ and +1.
The temperature rises and falls between 2.5 ° C., whereby the inside 11 is adjusted to an average temperature around the set temperature TS (+ 11 ° C.).

During such a cooling operation, the waste water receiving section 2
Dew from the cooler 15 and miscellaneous wastewater from the inside 11 flow into the chamber, and defrosting water from the cooler 15 flows in during defrosting by the defrosting device (not shown) of the cooler 15. 2 receives these wastewaters, guides them to the drainage holes 8, and discharges them to the outside through a drainage pipe 36 connected therebelow. A large number of food scraps and other dusts are contained in this wastewater, and when these dusts are accumulated in the wastewater receiver 2, the drain hole 8 is blocked and cannot be discharged to the drain pipe 36. . When such drainage failure occurs, the water level of the waste water in the waste water receiving portion 2 gradually rises, and eventually reaches the height of the suction air temperature sensor 28, and the suction air temperature sensor 28 is submerged in the waste water.

When the intake air temperature sensor 28 is submerged in water, what has been detecting the temperature of the intake air until now will now detect the temperature of the waste water. Here, since water has a larger heat capacity than air, its temperature changes slowly,
Suction air temperature TR output from the suction air temperature sensor 28
The change in (actual temperature of waste water) is as shown on the right side of FIG. That is, there is no change in the transition of the discharge air temperature TD output by the discharge air temperature sensor 27, but the intake air temperature TR (waste water temperature) output by the intake air temperature sensor 28.
The slope of the change becomes slower, and the differential ΔT in the ascending / descending cycle becomes extremely small, for example, 0.2 ° C.

The alarm control unit 33 of the control device 30 makes the slope of the change of the temperature TR slow as described above based on the state of the change of the temperature TR output from the intake air temperature sensor 28, and also reduces the differential ΔT. If it is determined that the suction air temperature sensor 28 is submerged, the alarm 36 is activated, and the user is warned that the level of waste water rises and the motor 19 of the blower 18 is submerged. To do. As a result, the user is requested to take prompt measures (removal of dust, etc.) and the occurrence of an electric leakage accident due to the submersion of the motor 19 is prevented.

Further, when the alarm control unit 33 detects the submersion of the intake air temperature sensor 28 in this way, it is notified to the temperature control unit 31, and the temperature control unit 31 thereafter ignores the output of the intake air temperature sensor 28, Discharged air temperature sensor 28
The control of the compressor 34 is performed only by the output of. In that case, the temperature control unit 31 controls the discharge air in the duct 12 and the inside 1
In consideration of the air temperature difference of 1, the calculated value TK is calculated by the formula of the discharge air temperature TD + 3 ° C. = TK output from the discharge air temperature sensor 28, and the calculated value TK matches the set temperature TS as an average. Then, the operation of the compressor 34 is controlled.

That is, the temperature controller 31 starts the compressor 34 when the discharge air temperature TD output from the discharge air temperature sensor 27 reaches + 10 ° C., and starts the compressor 3 when it reaches + 6 ° C.
Stop 4 By such control, the discharge air temperature TD
Repeats the cycle of rising and falling in which the differential ΔT becomes 4 ° C. as described above, but the calculated value TK is +9.
The temperature rises and falls between 0 ° C and + 13 ° C, so that the inside of the refrigerator 11 is adjusted to near the set temperature TS (+ 11 ° C) on average.

As described above, the alarm controller 3 of the control device 30
3 detects the submersion of the sensor 28 from the state of change of the output of the intake air temperature sensor 28, detects the rise of the level of the waste water in the waste water receiving section 2 and issues an alarm to the user by the alarm 36. Since the danger of the motor 19 of the blower 18 being submerged is warned, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an electric leakage accident due to defective drainage in the wastewater receiving portion 2. In particular, since the suction air temperature sensor 28, which is the basis of the temperature control by the temperature control unit 31, is used to detect the rise in the level of waste water,
It is not necessary to provide a special water level sensor, and the water level rise can be detected with certainty.

Since the compressor 34 is in continuous operation during the pull-down operation immediately after the open showcase 1 is installed, in such a situation, the alarm controller 33 cancels the alarm control as described above. Further, although the present invention is applied to the open showcase in the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also effective for a normal household or commercial refrigerator.

[0022]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, when the water level of the waste water in the waste water receiving section rises due to defective drainage, the alarm control section detects the change of the output of the intake air temperature sensor from the sensor. Since the submersion is detected, the rise in the level of the wastewater in the wastewater receiving part is detected, and the alarm is issued to the user by the alarm device, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an electric leakage accident due to the submersion of the blower. In particular, since the rise in wastewater temperature is detected by using the suction air temperature sensor used for temperature control, it is not necessary to provide a special water level sensor, and the rise in water level can be reliably detected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view of an open showcase as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a wastewater receiving portion of the open showcase.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electric circuit of the open showcase.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a time transition of a discharge air temperature output by a discharge air temperature sensor and a suction air temperature output by a suction air temperature sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Open Showcase 2 Waste Water Receiving Section 11 Inside 15 Cooler 18 Blower 27 Discharge Air Temperature Sensor 29 Suction Air Temperature Sensor 31 Temperature Controller 33 Alarm Controller

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Shinji Iura 2-18 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling storage cabinet comprising a waste water receiving section at a lower portion of a main body, a blower being disposed in the waste water receiving section, and air having heat exchanged with a cooler being circulated in the storage by the blower. A discharge air temperature sensor for detecting a discharge air temperature into the storage, a suction air temperature sensor attached below the blower for detecting a suction air temperature from the storage, and the output based on the outputs of both sensors. A cooling storage, comprising: a temperature control unit for controlling the temperature inside the storage; and an alarm control unit for detecting submersion in water based on a change in the output state of the suction air temperature sensor and issuing an alarm.