JPH10150853A - Cut flower preserving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cut flower preserving device which is simple in structure and capable of freshly preserving cut flowers for a long time, and evading an ice lump from being stuck to a cooling part. SOLUTION: This cut flower preserving device 10 is provided with water tanks 12, 13 and 14 installed in a step shape by changing height from each other, overflow pipes 30 and 31 for communicating the respective water tanks with each other, a pipe 40 for coolant circulation installed to the upper stage water tank 12, a refrigerator 42 for circulating a coolant, a pump 50 and a water feed pipe 51 for circulating cold water and a control part for controlling the start and stop of the refrigerator 42. The timer of the control part stops the refrigerator 42 for prescribed time regardless of a water temperature when set time elapses after starting the operation of the refrigerator 42. Also, based on the detection temperature of a water temperature sensor, the refrigerator 42 is stopped when the water temperature becomes lower than a prescribed value and the operation of the refrigerator 42 is restarted when the water temperature exceeds the prescribed value. Thus, water inside the water tanks 12-14 is maintained around 6 deg.C.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cut flower storage device used for storing cut flowers in a shop handling cut flowers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, in stores handling cut flowers, it has been practiced to immerse the lower portion of the cut flowers in a water tank in order to maintain the freshness of the cut flowers. Also, since it is empirically known that the life of a flower is shortened when the temperature of the water in the water tank is high, the water in the water tank is reduced by one or more cooling means such as a refrigerator.
Cooling from 5 ° C to about 16 ° C has also been performed. The conventional cooling means used for such cut flower water tanks employs a circulation system in which water in the water tank is led to a heat exchanger in a cooler by a pipe, and water cooled by the refrigerant is returned to the water tank again.

[0003]

However, in a conventional aquarium for cut flowers provided with a cooling means, if the flowers are immersed for a relatively long time, the stickiness of the flowers is poor, and the leaves and the flowers fall on a pipe for circulating water. Waste such as pieces was easily clogged and the water was easily decayed, so it was necessary to change the water and remove the trash in a few days. In addition, the pipe through which water passes near the heat exchanger of the refrigerator may be locally frozen easily, and the ice block may thickly adhere to the wall of the pipe, so that the pipe may become unusable in a relatively short time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cut flower preservation device which can store cut flowers fresh for a long time, has a relatively simple structure, and can avoid problems caused by icing.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a cut flower preserving apparatus which can store water for pickling cut flowers and has a heat insulating means around the cut flower preserving means. A water tank for storing cold water, which has a plurality of stages with different heights and has communication means for communicating the water tanks with each other, and a refrigerant circulation tank installed in a specific water tank among the water tanks. The water in the water tank is reduced by circulating the refrigerant through the pipe and the refrigerant distribution pipe.
A chiller that maintains a temperature of not less than 15 ° C. or more, a circulating unit including a pump that circulates cold water stored in each of the water tanks between the water tanks through the communication unit, and starts and stops the refrigerator. Control means for controlling.

When the cut flower storage device is used, a pump is operated to circulate water between the water tanks, and a refrigerator is operated to flow a low-temperature refrigerant through a refrigerant distribution pipe. This refrigerant distribution pipe is arranged, for example, in the uppermost water tank, and cools the water in the water tank to about 6 ° C. The cold water in this water tank is guided to the middle or lower water tank through a communication means such as an overflow pipe, and is again introduced into the uppermost water tank by a pump, and circulates between the water tanks.

According to the study of the present inventors, the temperature of the water for pickling cut flowers needs to be 0 ° C. or more and less than 15 ° C. When the temperature falls below 0 ° C, normal cut flowers darken and die. Above 15 ° C, the biological activity of cut flowers tends to become active and the temperature tends to rise further. become worse. More preferably, as described in claim 2, good results can be obtained by controlling the water temperature in a range of 4 ° C. to 10 ° C. with 6 ° C. as a target value.

[0008] As described in claim 3, the control means includes:
A timer for stopping the refrigerator regardless of the water temperature of the water tank when a set time has elapsed since the start of the refrigerator operation and restarting the refrigerator after a predetermined time has elapsed, and It is preferable that a water temperature sensor for stopping the refrigerator when the water temperature in the water tank becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value and operating the refrigerator when the water temperature exceeds the predetermined value is provided. By doing so, it is possible to avoid freezing around the refrigerant distribution pipe in the water tank until the desired water temperature is reached after the start of operation of the refrigerator in summer or the like,
Problems such as extreme reduction in cooling capacity due to formation of thick ice blocks are avoided. After reaching the predetermined water temperature, the start and stop of the refrigerator are periodically repeated by the timer, and in addition, the start and stop of the refrigerator are controlled in accordance with the temperature detected by the water temperature sensor, so that the cut flowers are cut off. Water temperature suitable for storage is maintained.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cut flower storage device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has a case main body 11 also serving as a base frame, and a cold water storage device arranged in the case main body 11 at a stepwise height. An upper water tank 12, a middle water tank 13, and a lower water tank 14 are provided. Each of the water tanks 12 to 14 is shown in FIG.
As a representative, a heat insulating material 22 made of a synthetic resin foam such as urethane foam which functions as a heat insulating means is provided between an outer plate 20 made of a stainless steel plate or the like and an inner plate 21; Cold water of about 6 ° C. for pickling cut flowers F (partially shown in FIG. 2) can be stored. Cut flowers F can be placed in a bucket 23 or the like and placed in a water tank 12-14.
Is stored in Holes are formed in the bottom and side surfaces of the bucket 23 so that cold water enters the inside of the bucket 23 at the same water level as the water tanks 12 to 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, an upper water tank 12 and a middle water tank 13 are provided with an overflow pipe 30 serving as a communicating means.
When the water level of the upper water tank 12 exceeds the upper end opening 30 a of the overflow pipe 30, the water in the upper water tank 12 is dropped to the middle water tank 13. The middle water tank 13 and the lower water tank 14 are also overflow pipes 31.
When the water level in the middle water tank 13 exceeds the upper end opening 31a of the overflow pipe 31, the water in the middle water tank 13 is dropped to the lower water tank 14.

A dust removing member 35 is provided so as to surround the upper end openings 30a, 31a of the overflow pipes 30, 31.
Is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, an example of the dust removing member 35 is a double-plated or net-like body having a large number of holes, and floats near the upper end openings 30a, 31a of the overflow tubes 30, 31. In order to prevent fallen leaves, flower pieces, dust and the like from being sucked into the overflow tubes 30, 31, they are stopped before the upper end openings 30a, 31a. A drain outlet 36 is provided at the bottom of each of the water tanks 12, 13, and 14 to open when draining the water in the water tank such as when changing water.

A cooling unit 41 comprising a refrigerant distribution pipe (copper pipe) 40 is provided inside the upper water tank 12. The refrigerant distribution pipe 40 constitutes a part of a refrigerator 42 conceptually shown in FIG. The pipe 40 is formed in a meandering shape, and is provided at a position lower than the upper end opening 30 a of the overflow pipe 30 in the upper water tank 12.

The refrigerator 42 may use a general refrigeration cycle, and includes a compressor 45, a condenser 46, a dryer 47, a capillary tube 48, and the pipe 40 along a refrigerant flow path. A cooling unit 41 is provided. The main body portion 42 a of the refrigerator 42 excluding the pipe 40 is housed inside the case main body 11 below the upper water tank 12 and the middle water tank 13. Further, a portion 40a of the pipe 40 protruding outside the water tank 12 is covered with a heat insulating material (not shown).

A pump 50 is provided in the lower water tank 14. The pump 50 is submerged in the water in the lower water tank 14, and the suction port of the pump 50 is opened in the water. A water pipe 51 is connected to a discharge port of the pump 50. The water supply pipe 51 includes a horizontal pipe part 52 that once extends above the water surface and extends horizontally in the water tank 14, and a vertical pipe part 53 that extends downward from the horizontal pipe part 52 and penetrates the bottom of the water tank 14. ,
Outer pipe portion 54 extending from vertical pipe portion 53 in the direction of upper tank 12
And a discharge port 55 opening above the water surface inside the upper tank 12.

By arranging the water supply pipe 51 as described above, the water supply pipe 51 is prevented from being exposed to the outside of the case main body 11, thereby improving the appearance and facilitating maintenance of the pump 50. The pump 50 and the water pipe 51 constitute a circulating unit for circulating cold water.

The discharge port 55 is opened at a position higher than the water surface of the upper water tank 12, and air (oxygen) can be sufficiently taken into the water by blowing water about tens of centimeters from the discharge port 55. In addition, water is prevented from flowing backward from the discharge port 55 even when the pump 50 is stopped. The discharge port 55 is provided with a flow control valve 56 for adjusting the discharge water amount.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a control unit 60 functioning as control means for electrically controlling the refrigerator 42. The control unit 60 includes a manual switch 61 operated when operating the pump 50, a switch 62 for starting the refrigerator 42, a timer 63, and a timer 63.
A water temperature sensor 65 for detecting the temperature of water in the water tank, and the like.
As described below, the water in the water tanks 12 to 14 is approximately 6
The start / stop of the refrigerator 42 is controlled so that the temperature may be set to ° C.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a part of the function of the control unit 60. Hereinafter, the control unit 60 will be described with reference to this flowchart. As shown in step S1 in FIG. 9, the timer 63 of the control unit 60 determines whether or not a set time (for example, one hour) has elapsed since the operation of the refrigerator 42 started. When the set time has not elapsed, it is determined whether or not the water temperature sensor 65 has reached a set temperature (for example, 6 ° C.−α) as shown in step S2. The operation of the refrigerator 42 is stopped (step S3), and when the temperature falls below the set temperature, the operation of the refrigerator 42 is stopped (step S4).

When the operation of the refrigerator 42 is stopped, the water temperature gradually rises due to the influence of the outside air temperature or the like. Therefore, in step S5, the water temperature sensor 65 detects the set temperature (for example, 6 ° C. +
α) is determined. And water temperature sensor 6
Until the temperature exceeds the set temperature, the refrigerator 42 is kept stopped (step S6), and the operation of the refrigerator 42 is restarted when the water temperature sensor 65 exceeds the set temperature (step S7).

On the other hand, when the timer 63 detects that the set time (for example, one hour) has elapsed in the step S1, the refrigerator 42 is automatically stopped regardless of the temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 65 (step S1). S
8). Then, the operation of the refrigerator 42 is restarted after a lapse of a predetermined time (for example, seven minutes) after the stop of the refrigerator 42 (step S9).

As described above, the timer 63 and the water temperature sensor 65
The start and stop of the refrigerator 42 are periodically repeated by the timer 63, and the start and stop of the refrigerator 42 are controlled in accordance with the temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 65. When starting the refrigerator 42 from a high state, it is possible to avoid the growth of thick ice blocks around the refrigerant distribution pipe 40 until the desired water temperature is reached, and the cooling ability due to icing may be extremely reduced. Bugs are avoided. After reaching the predetermined water temperature, the timer 6
3 and the water temperature sensor 6
Since the start / stop control of the refrigerator 42 is performed based on the detected temperature of 5, accurate water temperature management suitable for long-term preservation of cut flowers is possible.

The cut flower storage device 10 of this embodiment
Arranges the refrigerant distribution pipe 40 only in the upper water tank 12,
The water cooled in the upper water tank 12 is transferred to the overflow pipe 3
Since the refrigerant is guided to the middle water tank 13 and the lower water tank 14 via 0 and 31, the entire length of the refrigerant distribution pipe 40 can be as short as possible and the structure can be simplified. And each aquarium 12 ~
Since the heat insulating material 22 is used for 14, the temperature drop when water moves from the upper water tank 12 to the lower water tank 14 can be suppressed to a level that does not substantially cause a problem.

Since the overflow pipes 30 and 31 are used as means for communicating the water tanks 12 to 14, the upper end openings 30a and 30a of the overflow pipes 30 and 31 are used.
Garbage such as fallen leaves and flower pieces captured by the garbage removing member 35 installed near the base 31a can be easily removed from above the water surface using a hand or the like.

In the above embodiment, the pipe 40 for circulating the refrigerant is provided in the upper water tank 12, but the pipe 40 for circulating the refrigerant is provided in the middle water tank 13 or the lower water tank 14, depending on the position where the refrigerator 42 is installed. You may do so. In addition, the number of water tanks is not limited to three as in the above embodiment, but may be two or four or more.

[0025]

According to the present invention, the water in the tank in which the cut flowers are immersed can be kept at a water temperature suitable for storing the cut flowers, so that the cut flowers can be kept fresh for a long time, and the structure of the apparatus itself can be compared. In addition, it is possible to prevent thick ice blocks from adhering to the pipe in the cooling section in the water tank while the water temperature drops to the desired temperature after the operation of the refrigerator starts.
When an overflow pipe is used as the communication means, there is a secondary effect that dust such as fallen leaves can be easily removed from the water surface by a dust removing member arranged around the overflow pipe.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cut flower storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cut flower storage device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the cut flower storage device.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cut flower storage device.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of an aquarium used in the cut flower storage device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a dust removing member used in the cut flower storage device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a refrigeration cycle of the cut flower storage device.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a control unit of the cut flower storage device.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating functions of a control unit of the cut flower storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Cut flower preservation apparatus 12 ... Upper stage water tank 13 ... Middle stage water tank 14 ... Lower stage water tank 22 ... Heat insulation material (insulation means) 30, 31 ... Overflow pipe (communication means) 40 ... Refrigerant distribution pipe 42 ... Refrigerator 50 ... Pump (circulation) Means) 51: Water pipe (circulation means) 60: Control unit 63: Timer 65: Water temperature sensor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A water tank for storing cold water, which can store water for pickling cut flowers, has heat insulating means around the water tank, and is provided with a plurality of water tanks having different heights, and communicates with each of the water tanks. Communication means, a refrigerant distribution pipe installed in a specific water tank of each of the water tanks, and maintaining the water in the water tank at a temperature of 0 ° C. or more and less than 15 ° C. by circulating a refrigerant through the refrigerant distribution pipe. And a circulating unit including a pump for circulating the cold water stored in each of the water tanks between the water tanks through the communication means, and a control means for controlling start and stop of the refrigerator. A cut flower storage device, characterized in that: 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the start and stop of said refrigerator so as to maintain the water in said water tank at a temperature of 4 ° C. or more and 10 ° C. with reference to 6 ° C. 1
The cut flower storage device according to the above. 3. The control means stops the refrigerating machine regardless of the water temperature of the water tank when a set time has elapsed from the start of the refrigerating machine operation, and stops the refrigerating machine after a predetermined time has elapsed. A water temperature sensor for having a timer to restart, and for stopping the refrigerator when the water temperature in the water tank falls below a predetermined value and for operating the refrigerator when the water temperature exceeds a predetermined value. The cut flower storage device according to claim 1, further comprising: