JPS602555Y2 - Humidifying refrigerator dew catcher - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention is a humidifying refrigerator that maintains temperature and humidity at conditions suitable for preserving fresh foods, and further eliminates the negative effects of condensation water caused by humidification. The present invention relates to a device for preserving fresh food.

The inventor has already proposed a refrigerator that can introduce humidified air into a cooler box to maintain the humidity inside the box at 60 to 100% and maintain temperature fluctuations within a range of 0°C ± 1°C. (Patent application 1986-115498)
issue).

This refrigerator is particularly effective in maintaining the freshness of perishable foods; for example, it has been confirmed that seafood can remain fresh for 10 to 15 days, but because it introduces humidified air, condensed water is It has been pointed out that food products with soft flesh such as sea urchins are often damaged by dripping condensation water because it is unavoidable that food products adhere to the earthen walls of the cooler box and fall. It's arrived.

The present invention was made to eliminate such problems, and is a humidifying refrigerator in which humidified air is introduced into a cooler box configured to minimize temperature fluctuations. A plate is provided on the ceiling of the cooler box for receiving dripping condensed water and guiding it to the humid air outlet. The feature is that the periphery is bent upward to prevent condensed water from dripping from the hole.

The invention will now be described with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

The cooler box 2 is arranged within the cooling chamber 1.

The cooling chamber 1 is surrounded by an exterior box 3 made of a heat insulating material such as urethane, and the cooler box 2 is formed into a rectangular tube shape with a bottom by a metal plate 4 having good thermal conductivity.

One end of the cooler box 2 is open for taking food in and out, and the opening is provided with an inner lid 5 that can be opened and closed, and an outer lid 6 made of a heat insulating material.

A series of partition plates 7 are integrally provided on the outer periphery of the metal plate 4 constituting the cooler box 2 at required intervals by welding or other means. The device is connected from the inlet section 9a to the outlet section 9
A continuous spiral heat medium flow path 9 is formed that reaches b.

The inlet portion 9a of the heat medium flow path 9 includes a supply pipe 10 and a pump 1.
1 to the chiller tank 12, and the outlet portion 9b also communicates to the chiller tank 12 via the recovery pipe 13.

The heat medium in the tailor tank 12 is cooled to a predetermined temperature by the refrigerator 14, and is supplied to the heat medium flow path 9 via the pump 11 and the supply pipe 10.

The supply pipe 10 is provided with a flow control valve or electromagnetic on-off valve 15 for controlling the flow rate of the heat medium, and this valve 15 is controlled by a temperature sensor 16 inside the cooler box 2 .

When controlling the temperature in the cooler box 2 between 0°C ± 1°C, the heat medium is heated between 0°C and -3°C in the tailor tank 12.
, especially preferably cooled to -2°C.

Of course, if the temperature inside the cooler box 2 is higher than 0° C., the flow rate of the thermal refrigerant is increased by the flow rate control valve or the electromagnetic on-off valve 15, and if it is lower, the flow rate is decreased.

A part of the cooling pipe of the refrigerator 14 is guided into the cooling chamber 1 and is disposed inside the outer box 3 as a bare tube cooler 17.

The temperature inside the cooling chamber 1 is between -2℃ and 2℃, especially 0℃±1℃
However, if the Freon refrigerant cooled by the refrigerator 14 is allowed to flow through the bare tube cooler 17, the temperature inside the cooling chamber 1 can be maintained at -2°C to 2°C.

18 is a thermostat that detects the temperature inside the cooling chamber 1;
A signal based on the detected temperature is given to the flow rate control solenoid valve 27 to control the flow rate of the refrigerant and maintain the temperature inside the cooling chamber 1 at a predetermined value.

Further, numeral 19 indicates a waterproof plate interposed between the inner wall of the exterior box 3 and the bare tube cooler 17.

On the other hand, an ultrasonic humidifier 20 is installed in the cooling chamber 1, and the high quality mist (1 to 5 microns) produced here is used to supply humidified air to the multi-blade 21, main duct 22, and cooler box 2. It is led into the box 2 via the port 23.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a humidified air outlet for discharging the humidified air circulating inside the cooler box 2 into the cooling chamber 1;
4 is provided with a humidification regulator 25.

The humidification regulator 25 detects the relative humidity of humid air at the outlet of the cooler box 2, and adjusts the relative humidity to a desired value, for example 60 to
Turn off the ultrasonic humidifier 20 to 100%
Alternatively, the operating time of the ultrasonic humidifier 20 can be set using the timer 26.
controlled by.

The ultrasonic humidifier 20 emits ultrasonic waves from the bottom of a spray water tank, and uses the water column and fine mist caused by cavities pushed up to the water surface as a humidifying mist. Good quality fog of ~5 microns is obtained.

In the cooler box 2, a plate 30 is provided on the ceiling thereof.

This exposed plate 30 is formed slightly smaller than the planar shape of the cooler box 2, and when inserted and supported from the inner lid 5 side onto a plurality of receiving pieces 31 protruding from the peripheral wall of the cooler box 2, the plate 30 A certain gap is formed with the peripheral wall of No. 2.

In addition, the plate 30 is formed into a dish shape with an upwardly bent edge 32 at its periphery, and a plurality of cold air passage holes 33 are bored in the plane portion surrounded by the bent edge 32. There is.

The peripheral edge of the cold air passage hole 33 is bent upward like the bent edge 32 described above to form a drip prevention wall 34 having a trumpet-shaped cross section.

Reference numeral 35 indicates a water conduit pipe that guides the condensed water dripping onto the plate 30 to the humidified air outlet 24 below the cooler box 2.

In addition, it is preferable that the plate 30 be inclined so that the side of the water conduit 35 is slightly better.

Further, a suitable water draining means is provided in the lower part of the cooling chamber 1.

In this refrigerator having the above configuration, the cooling chamber 1 is a bare tube type cooler 1.
7 to -2°C to 2°C, the external heat that enters through the outer box 3 is hardly transmitted to the cooler box 2. On the other hand, the heat medium flow path 9 around the cooler box 2 is provided with a cooler tank. 12. A heat medium of O0C to -3°C is supplied via the supply pipe 10, and after exchanging heat with the wall surface of the cooler box, it is circulated to the chiller tank 12 via the recovery pipe 13. Alternatively, in conjunction with the action of the on-off valve 15, the temperature inside the cooler box 2 can be maintained within the range of 0°C±1°C.

Also, since humidified air is simultaneously supplied into the cooler box 2 from the ultrasonic humidifier 20, the humidity inside the box is reduced to 6.
It can be maintained between 0 and 100%.

However, in the present invention, even if the humidified air condenses on the upper wall of the cooler box 2 and drips, the dripping water is always collected on the condensation plate 30 and passed through the water pipe 35 to the outlet 24.
is discharged to the outside of the cooler box 2.

Therefore, it is possible to avoid the possibility that the food in the cooler box 2 will be damaged by dripping condensed water.

The cold air passage holes 33 allow the cold air inside the cooler box 2 to flow and prevent harmful temperature gradients from occurring, and the number and total opening area are determined within the range for this purpose.

The periphery of the cold air passage hole 33 is a drip prevention wall 34 bent upward.
Therefore, dripping water will not fall from the cold air passage hole 33.

Note that the dew catcher plate 30 may be formed from a metal plate such as stainless steel, but in order to reduce the possibility of condensation water adhering to the plate itself, it may be formed from a plate other than a metal plate such as a synthetic resin plate. It is preferable to do so.

As described above, the present invention provides a cooler box with a continuous heat medium passage on the outer periphery in the cooling chamber, and this heat medium passage is cooled by a cooling system different from the cooling system of the cooling room. In a refrigerator that circulates a heat medium that suppresses fluctuations in the temperature inside the cooler box and maintains high humidity by introducing humidified air into the cooler box, it is possible to maintain high humidity by introducing humidified air into the cooler box. Since the dew condensation water that drips is treated with a plate, the temperature and humidity can be maintained accurately, and fresh foods, especially soft foods such as sea urchins that tend to lose their freshness, are The effect is that it can be stored in good condition for a long period of time.

Since cold air passage holes are formed in the condenser plate, harmful temperature gradients do not occur in the cooler box whose temperature is strictly controlled by the above configuration.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the entire refrigerator, showing an embodiment of the venting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same with part of the main parts in section. 1... Cooling room, 2... Cooler box, 9... Heat medium flow path, 20... Ultrasonic humidifier, 23...・Humidified air supply port, 24...
...Humidified air outlet, 30...Bent plate, 32...Bent edge, 33...Cold air passage hole, 34...Dripping prevention Wall, 35...
Water pipe.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A cooler box for storing food and a humidifier are installed in the cooling chamber, and a continuous heat medium passage is provided around the outer periphery of the cooler box. The heat medium cooled by the cooling system is circulated, humidified air from the humidifier in the cooling chamber is guided into the cooler box, and condensation water is added to the ceiling of the cooler box from the upper wall of the cooler box. A dew pan for a humidifying refrigerator is characterized in that the dew pan for receiving the dew is provided with a plate, and the dew pan has a plurality of cold air passing holes in which the periphery of the plate is bent upward.