JPH0645818Y2 - Humidity control device in refrigeration container - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a humidity control device in a refrigerating container, and particularly for transporting fresh food such as vegetables, fruits and fish meat without deteriorating its freshness. The present invention relates to a humidity control device suitable for being applied to a refrigerating container.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, in order to maintain the freshness of fresh food, it is necessary to store it under optimum low temperature conditions according to the type of fresh food.
For example, when the fresh food is fruits and vegetables, it is required to have a low temperature condition in a temperature range where low temperature damage does not occur,
Also, in the case of fish meat that causes a change in taste due to freezing, low temperature conditions in the temperature range that does not freeze are required, and in the case of fish meat that does not cause any problems even if frozen, low temperature conditions corresponding to it Is required.

Conventionally, as a refrigerating container for transporting this type of fresh food, as shown in, for example, JP-A-57-177687, in a refrigerator in which fresh food is stored, as compared with the case of a normal refrigerating container. Supply a large amount of cold air and force it to circulate,
It has been proposed that fresh foods in various places inside the warehouse are kept under optimum temperature conditions.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in a conventional freezing container for transporting fresh food, since a large amount of cold air is supplied to the inside of the container and forcedly circulates as described above, the humidity inside the container drops too much and There is a problem that the freshness of food cannot be maintained.

The present invention has been made in view of the current situation, and an object thereof is to provide a humidity control device in a frozen container capable of preventing a decrease in humidity in a refrigerator and sufficiently maintaining freshness of fresh food.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention is directed to a refrigerator that sucks and cools air in the refrigerator from an intake port and discharges cooling air from the discharge port into the chamber, a heating unit that heats air discharged from the discharge port into the chamber, and the intake air. Humidity detecting means installed near the mouth to detect the humidity of the air inside the chamber sucked from the intake port, an ultrasonic humidifier installed near the outlet and controlled by a signal from the humidity detecting means, and a tip. Is connected to the lower part of one side of the ultrasonic humidifier, the water supply line that continuously supplies water to the ultrasonic humidifier during operation of the ultrasonic humidifier, and the other side facing the one side of the ultrasonic humidifier. An overflow line that continuously discharges excess water in the connected ultrasonic humidifier to maintain the water level in the ultrasonic humidifier at a constant level and creates a water flow in the entire ultrasonic humidifier; Freezing prevention heating that heats the inside of the sonic humidifier Means, characterized in that the inlet side and the outlet side of the overflow line of the water supply line has a respective connection to and capable of recovering the defrost drain of the refrigerator tank.

[Action]

In the humidity control device for the refrigerating container according to the present invention, the humidity of the air in the refrigerator is detected by the humidity detecting means, and the inside of the refrigerator is humidified by the ultrasonic humidifier controlled by the signal from the humidity detecting means. Therefore, the humidity in the refrigerator can be effectively prevented from decreasing. Further, the ultrasonic humidifier has a heating means, and moreover, the water is continuously supplied to the entire water supply line, the overflow line and the ultrasonic humidifier during the operation of the ultrasonic humidifier. There is no risk of freezing even when used for a long time in a low temperature range. In addition, since the water level in the ultrasonic humidifier is maintained at a constant level, it is possible to stabilize the generation of fog, obtain a low temperature fog with fine particles, and easily control the temperature inside the refrigerator. Further, since the defrost drain of the refrigerator can be collected in the tank, if water is supplied to the tank at the beginning of operation, there is no need to supply water thereafter.

〔Example〕

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show an example of a refrigerating container according to the present invention. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 is a container body having a door 2 at one longitudinal end. This container body 1 is formed in a box shape having a heat insulating structure, and the inside thereof has a partition wall 3
Is divided into a storage 4 for storing fresh food such as fruits and vegetables and a machine room 7 in which a cooling unit 5 and a blower unit 6 are installed. Inside the machine room 7, a cooling unit 5 and the like are installed by a partition wall 8. It is divided into a space and an installation space such as a ventilation unit 6. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a ventilation duct 9 for guiding the cool air from the units 5, 6 into the storage 4 is laid at the bottom of the container body 1. And from this ventilation duct 9 to the storage 4
The cool air supplied to the inside, after adjusting the temperature of the cargo to a predetermined temperature,
The inlets 10 provided at the upper ends of the partition walls 3 and 8 are returned to the units 5 and 6, respectively.

The cooling unit 5 comprises an evaporator 5a and a condenser 5b as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the condenser 5b is
As shown in FIG. 3, the lower portion of the evaporator 5a is surrounded by a mountain-shaped heat insulating wall 11 and is completely separated from the inside of the container body 1. On the lower surface of the evaporator 5a, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
The heater 12 is energized at the time of defrosting, and the defrosting operation of the heater 12 is controlled by a signal from the differential pressure sensor 13 that detects the differential pressure at the inlet and outlet of the evaporator 5a. Then, the defrost drain generated by the defrost operation is captured by the drain pan 14 formed in the mountain portion of the heat insulating wall 11 and the humidifying device 15 described later.
Is being led to. In addition, this heater 12
Is also used as a heating means when heating the inside of the storage 4, as described later.

Further, the blower unit 6 is formed by a pressure blower capable of obtaining a strong pressure as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, so that cool air can be blown to the storage 4 at a high pressure. The blower unit 6 itself does not have the function of controlling the temperature of cold air, but the opening of a damper 16 provided on the partition wall 8 is adjusted to cool the blower unit of cool air cooled by the evaporator 5a. By controlling the inflow amount to the 6 side, a predetermined temperature control function can be obtained.

At the upper position of the blower unit 6 thus configured,
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, an ultrasonic humidifier 17 which constitutes the humidifying device 15 is installed to humidify the cool air sent from the air blowing unit 6 to the storage 4.

The humidifier 15 includes an ultrasonic humidifier 17 as shown in FIG.
And two reserve tanks 18a and 18b and a pump 19.

The ultrasonic humidifier 17 has a vibrating part 17a as shown in FIG.
A tank portion 17b and a mist discharge portion 17c, and the outlet pipes 20a, 20b are provided at the lower part of one side surface of the tank portion 17b.
And each of the reserve tanks 18a through the pump inlet pipe 21,
The water sucked by the pump 19 from 18b is continuously supplied through the water supply pipe 22, and excess water of a certain level or more is provided on the other side of the tank 17b facing the one side. Is continuously returned to each reserve tank 18a, 18b via an overflow pipe 23 and return pipes 24a, 24b connected to the. Then, the water maintained at a constant level in the tank portion 17b is atomized by the atomization phenomenon by the ultrasonic waves accompanying the activation of the vibrating portion 17a, and the fog discharge portion 17c.
Is being released from.

In the tank portion 17b of the ultrasonic humidifier 17 and in each reserve tank 18a, 18b, as shown in FIG. 5, warming heaters 25, 26a, 26b for freeze prevention are arranged, respectively. A discharge pipe 14a for discharging the defrost drain collected by the drain pan 14 is connected to the reserve tanks 18a, 18b via an upward pipe 27. By closing the drain plug 28 at the downstream end of the discharge pipe 14a, the defrost drain from the drain pan 14 is stored in the reserve tanks 18a, 18b via the upward pipe 27.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the amount of defrost drain in one reserve tank 18a is too large, and both reserve tanks 18a
An overflow pipe 29 is provided to discharge outside when the capacity of a, 18b is exceeded, and the other reserve tank 18b supplies water to both reserve tanks 18a, 18b at the beginning of operation when defrost drain does not occur. Mouth 30 is connected.

As shown in FIG. 5, drain valves 31a and 31b are connected to the inlet and outlet of the pump 19, respectively. By opening both drain valves 31a and 31b, the water in the humidifier 15 is discharged. However, it is possible to prevent freezing when the humidifying device 15 is not used.

The humidifying device 15 configured as described above is shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, it is controlled by a signal from a humidity sensor 32 arranged near the intake port 10 of the partition wall 3, and the set value of this humidity sensor 32 is adjusted according to the type of cargo. It can be changed arbitrarily.

On the other hand, a ventilation duct 9 arranged at the bottom of the container body 1
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, ribs 33 are provided on both sides of the upper end.
A large number of square tube members 33 having a closed end on the door 2 side are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the container body 1 at predetermined intervals. A cold air discharge port 34 having a large number of small holes communicating with the inside thereof is provided. The slits in the longitudinal direction are formed on the upper surface between the adjacent rectangular tube members 33.
Main circulation cold air flow path 36 having an open end on the door 2 side 36
Further, a sub-circulation cold air flow path 37 whose end on the door 2 side is closed is formed inside each square tube member 33.

Further, the upper surface of the portion of the ventilation duct 9 located in the machine room 7 is closed as shown in FIG. 7, and the floor surface between the partition wall 3 and the front wall of the container body 1 has the above-mentioned structure. A discharge port 38 is provided only in a portion corresponding to the main circulation cold air flow passage 36, and a discharge port 39 is provided only in a portion corresponding to the sub circulation cold air flow passage 37 on the floor surface between the partition walls 3 and 8. Is provided. The cool air from the cooling unit 5 is discharged through the outlet 38.
From the blower unit 6 to the inside of the storage 4 via the main circulation cold air flow path 36, and the cool air from the blower unit 6 is sent to the inside of the storage 4 from the discharge port 39 via the sub circulation cold air flow path 37. ing.

Next, the operation will be described.

The cold air cooled in the cooling unit 5 enters the main circulation cold air flow passage 36 from the discharge port 38, is guided to the door 2 side according to the situation of the cargo in the storage 4, and is cooled in the main circulation cold air flow passage 36. It is supplied to the internal space of the storage 4 from the slit 35 on the end of the door 2 or on the upper surface, and is returned to the cooling unit 5 or the blower unit 6 from the intake port 10 above each partition wall 3,8.

On the other hand, the cool air from the blower unit 6 enters the sub-circulation cold air passage 37 from the discharge port 39, is blown upward from the cool air outlet 34 on the upper surface thereof, enters the cargo gap in the storage 4, and discharges this cargo. As it cools, it rises and is returned to the blower unit 6 or the cooling unit 5 from the intake port 10 above each partition wall 3, 8.

A part of the cool air cooled by the cooling unit 5 is guided to the blower unit 6 side through the damper 16 and is sent into the storage 4 together with the cool air of the blower unit 6.

When it is necessary to raise the temperature in the storage 4, in addition to the operation of the cooling unit 5, or instead of this, the heater 12 is energized, and the cool air heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 12 is circulated. Air is sent to the storage 4 through the cold air flow path 36.

Then, since a large amount of cold air whose temperature has been adjusted is forcedly sent to the inside of the storage 4, the temperature inside the storage 4 can be made uniform, and the cargo is aged with ethylene or aldehyde. If the fruits and vegetables radiate minutes,
Ventilation of this additional ripening component can be promoted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the freshness of fresh food from decreasing.

By the way, since this type of refrigerating container circulates a larger amount of cold air than a normal refrigerating container, the temperature in the storage 4 can be made uniform, but the humidity in the storage 4 becomes too low, and fresh foods The decrease in freshness associated with the decrease in the humidity of the product becomes a problem.

However, in the present embodiment, in such a case, the humidifying device 15 is operated to control the humidity inside the storage 4, so that the inside of the storage 4 can always be maintained at the optimum humidity.

That is, when the humidity in the storage 4 is reduced to, for example, 90%, the humidity sensor 32 detects this and the ultrasonic humidifier 17 is activated by the detection signal from the humidity sensor 32. Then,
The water in the tank portion 17b is atomized by the atomization phenomenon of ultrasonic waves and is emitted from the mist emission portion 17c. The discharged fog is sucked by the blower unit 6 and sent into the storage 4 together with the cool air. And thereby, the humidity fall in the storage 4 is prevented.

When the ultrasonic humidifier 17 is operated for a predetermined time, the humidity inside the storage 4 gradually increases. When the value reaches 95%, for example, the humidity sensor 32 detects this and the ultrasonic humidifier.
A signal is sent to 17, which causes the ultrasonic humidifier 17 to stop.

By the way, the ultrasonic humidifier 17 is controlled by a signal from the humidity sensor 32, but the tank portion 17b and both reserve tanks 18 are
The heating heaters 25, 26a, 26b in the a, 18b and the pump 19 are constantly energized while the blower unit 6 is operating. Therefore, water always flows in the piping system and in the entire tank 17b,
Moreover, since this water has been heated to a predetermined temperature,
Even if the humidifier 15 is operated for a long time in a low temperature range, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of freezing. In the piping system and tank part 17b
The water level in the tank portion 17b of the ultrasonic humidifier 17 is constantly maintained at a constant level by constantly flowing water in the entire area, whereby the generation of fog can be stabilized. Further, since the ultrasonic humidifier 17 is used as the humidifier, it is possible to stabilize the generation of fog in a low temperature range and obtain a low temperature fine fog in comparison with the case of using a heater type humidifier. To be Therefore, it is easy to control the temperature inside the storage 4. Further, since the defrost drain of the cooling unit 5 is collected in the reserve tanks 18a, 18b, if water is supplied to the reserve tanks 18a, 18b at the beginning of operation,
There is no need for water supply after that. Therefore, the practical effect is extremely large when applied to a marine transportation container where it is extremely difficult to secure a water source and supply water.

On the other hand, the operation of the blower unit 6 is stopped and the cooling unit 5 is stopped.
When only the refrigerator is operated and used as a normal refrigerating container, the inside of the storage 4 becomes extremely low in temperature, so the humidifying device 15
Even if it is humidified using, most of the fog is condensed in the storage 4, and a sufficient humidifying effect cannot be expected. For this reason,
During such a freezing operation, the humidity control by the humidifier 15 is not normally performed. In this case, heating heaters 25, 26a, 26b
Since the pump 19 and the pump 19 are not powered, the water in the humidifier 15 may freeze.

Therefore, in such a case, the drain plug 28 and the drain valves 31a and 31b are opened to drain the water in the humidifier 15 to prevent freezing.

By humidifying the humidifier 15, the inside of the storage 4 can be maintained at the optimum humidity at all times, and the freshness of fresh food due to the decrease in humidity can be prevented.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the lower-blowing type container in which the cool air is blown from the lower side has been described, but the same can be applied to the upper-blowing type container.

[Effect of device]

As described above, in the present invention, the humidity of the air in the refrigerator is detected by the humidity detecting means, and the inside of the refrigerator is humidified by the ultrasonic humidifier controlled by the signal from the humidity detecting means. It is possible to prevent the internal humidity from decreasing and the freshness of fresh foods from decreasing.

Further, the ultrasonic humidifier has a heating means, and moreover, the water is continuously supplied to the entire water supply line, the overflow line and the entire ultrasonic humidifier during the operation of the ultrasonic humidifier. There is no risk of freezing even when used for a long time in a low temperature range.

Moreover, the heating means in the ultrasonic humidifier need only be heated to prevent water from freezing, and unlike the heater-type humidifier,
Since it is not necessary to heat the water until the temperature becomes the above, a low temperature fog can be obtained, and the temperature control in the refrigerator is easy.

Further, since it is an ultrasonic humidifier, finer fog can be obtained than in the case of the heater type, and the amount of freezing in the refrigerator can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the water level in the ultrasonic humidifier is maintained at a constant level, the amount of fog generated can be stabilized.

In addition, since the defs rhododren of the refrigerator can be collected in the tank, if water is supplied to the tank at the beginning of operation, there is no need for water supply thereafter, and when it is applied to a marine transportation container where securing a water source and water supply work is extremely difficult A particularly great effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a refrigerating container showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a similar vertical sectional view, and FIG. 3 is II of FIG.
I-III line sectional view, FIG. 4 is a IV-IV line sectional view of FIG. 2, 5
FIG. 6 is a system diagram showing the humidifier, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of the ventilation duct, and FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 1 ... Container body, 2 ... Door, 4 ... Storage, 5 ...
… Cooling unit, 6… Blower unit, 9… Ventilation duct, 10… Intake port, 12… Heater, 14… Drain pan,
15 ... Humidifier, 17 ... Ultrasonic humidifier, 18a, 18b ... Reserve tank, 19 ... Pump, 22 ... Water supply pipe, 23 ... Overflow pipe, 25, 26a, 26b ... Heater, 28 …… Drain plug, 31a, 31b …… Drain valve, 32 …… Humidity sensor, 38,39 …… Discharge port.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-48-25956 (JP, A) JP-A-59-164871 (JP, A) Actually open 58-150781 (JP, U) Actual-open Sho-54- 31269 (JP, U)

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Claims: 1. a. Air in the refrigerator is sucked from an intake port to be cooled,
A refrigerator that discharges cooling air from the discharge port into the refrigerator, b. Heating means that heats the air discharged from the discharge port into the refrigerator, and c. Installed near the intake port and sucked from the intake port. Humidity detecting means for detecting the humidity of the air inside the chamber, d. An ultrasonic humidifier installed near the discharge port and controlled by a signal from the humidity detecting means, and e. The ultrasonic humidifier at the tip. A water supply line connected to the lower part of one side of the ultrasonic humidifier, which continuously supplies water to the ultrasonic humidifier during operation of the ultrasonic humidifier, and f. Connected to the other side of the ultrasonic humidifier opposite to the one side, An overflow line that continuously discharges excess water in the ultrasonic humidifier to maintain the water level in the ultrasonic humidifier at a constant level and creates a water flow throughout the ultrasonic humidifier; and g. Freezing prevention heating means for heating the inside of the sonic humidifier, and h. Entry side and the delivery side of the overflow line is connected, and the humidity control apparatus in a refrigerated container, characterized by comprising a tank capable of recovering the defrost drain of refrigerator. 2. The humidity control device for a refrigerating container according to claim 1, wherein the tank has a heating means for heating the inside thereof. 3. The humidity control device for a refrigerating container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water supply line, the overflow line, and the tank have a water draining mechanism.