JPS627464B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an extremely hygienic and novel transparent show case that eliminates uneven cooling and keeps the products inside the case, especially fresh foods, etc., at the lowest possible temperature without freezing.

Conventional cooling case uses a method to cool the inside of the case using refrigerant, so in order to uniformly cool the inside of the case, the pipes for refrigerant passage and circulation must be arranged as densely as possible to achieve the intended purpose. is not achieved. However, if the piping density is high, it will not only be very difficult to take products in and out of the case, but also have the disadvantage that the products cannot be seen from the outside if the case is transparent. freezes. Therefore, in the case of conventional show cases, it was necessary to adopt a structure in which only a refrigerant pipe was installed at the top or bottom of the case, which resulted in a reduction in the cooling effect and accelerated spoilage of the product. be. Furthermore, uneven cooling within the case was unavoidable, and as a result, it was considered impossible to manufacture large-sized cases.

As a result of various studies aimed at solving these drawbacks, the inventor came to the conclusion that these drawbacks could not be solved by sticking to the existing concept of case, and therefore completely changed the idea and developed a different method. As a result of intensive research from the perspective of
They discovered that the drawbacks of conventional case cases could be eliminated by ventilating cooled air or other gas directly into the case, and they also conducted research on a device for circulating this gas and completed the present invention. be.

In other words, the present invention makes the entire case transparent, provides a cooling gas inlet part and a suction part inside the case, and supplies the cooling gas directly into the case so that the cooling gas passes through the case evenly. An important feature is that the gas used for cooling is circulated and that a spray cooler and cyclone are additionally installed to control the temperature, humidity, and sterilize the gas. .

The show case according to the present invention is suitable for cooling the products inside the case without freezing them, allowing the inside of the case to be seen from the outside, and allowing the products to be freely taken out from the case as needed. There are many uses for the case according to the present invention, but among them, a case for toppings in a sushi restaurant, a case for fresh fish, a case for meat,
Cases for vegetables and fruits, cases for beer and wine, cases for soft drinks such as youth and cider, cases for various side dishes, cases for dairy products such as cheese and butter, cases for pastured products such as ham, sausage, and kamaboko, cases for cakes, etc. suitable.

The case according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking as an example a case for toppings in a sushi restaurant. 1 is a transparent show case, which is made of tempered glass, transparent plastic, or the like. Although its shape can be determined as appropriate, in this embodiment it is a rectangular parallelepiped, and its bottom is tapered to allow smooth movement of the cooling gas. A cooling gas inlet is provided in the ceiling of the case 1, and this inlet is connected to one or more gas inlet pipes 2-1, 2-2, 2-3.
..., and cooling gas discharge ports 2a, 2b, 2c... are provided at the bottom of the pipe, respectively. The cooling gas discharged from the cooling gas discharge ports 2a, 2b, 2c, . . . moves downward within the case 1 and descends to the inner bottom of the case 1. In order to collect and recirculate this gas, a gas suction is provided at the bottom of the case 1. The gas suction section includes gas suction ports 3a, 3
It consists of one or more gas suction pipes 3 with holes 3b, 3c, . . . The positions of the suction pipe 3 and the feed pipe 2 may be reversed, or they may be installed laterally with a 90 degree offset.

In order to cool and display sushi toppings, an air permeable partition plate 6' is disposed at the tapered start part in the case 1. Although it is possible to place the toppings directly on this breathable partition plate 6', in order to enhance the cooling effect, a cold water or cold air passage pipe 4 is installed on the partition plate 6', and an aluminum or stainless steel Alternatively, a synthetic resin drainboard 5' may be placed. The partition plate 6' (and the pipe 4, if necessary) can be formed in multiple stages instead of in one stage.

Additionally, since the portion for taking out the ingredients is usually left open, the temperature inside the case rises and bacteria enter the case. To prevent this, an air curtain and/or a door are installed at the take-out opening, but the former is preferred.

The air curtain only needs to blow gas downward from the top of the opening, but it would be even better to cool this gas or increase the blowing rate by rotating the fan strongly. It is most efficient to connect it to a cold air preparation device to be described later and use it for circulation. The same applies to the case where cold air is vented to the pipe 4.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate another embodiment. In FIG. 2, a relatively large-diameter, strong feed pipe 2 is installed at one location, and a third In the figure, each upper corner has one
Two feed pipes 2-1 and 2-2 are installed.

As mentioned above, the present invention lies not only in the unique structure of the case body, but also in controlling the temperature, humidity, and even sterilization of the gas vented inside the case body. , it also includes a cold air conditioning device for circulating the air.

This cold air preparation device and the above-mentioned show case body are organically combined to provide even better effects. This cold air preparation device is a combination of a spray cooler and a cyclone, and will be described below with reference to FIG. 4.

30 is an air fan, and its discharged air is blown into the first cyclone 34. A steam pipe 35 is attached to the cyclone 34, which separates solid matter such as dust entrained from the shower case 1 and also sterilizes the air by jetting out steam as necessary. However, for convenience, this first
It is also possible to omit the cyclone 34 and pass it directly through the pipe 33'. At this time, dust, germs, etc. are removed by the spray cooler 36.

The air from which dirt and the like have been removed by the cyclone 34 is sent to the spray cooler 36 via the conduit 33. The spray cooler 36 has a cyclone 34 on the side.
The air conduit 33 communicating with is opened, the reflux pipe 37 is opened and fixed above, and the cold water pipe 38 is installed around the reflux pipe 37 in the spray cooler 36, and this is branched to form a large number of spray ports 39a, 39b. ...spray cooler 3
6, and the cold water pipe 38 is communicated with the cold water tank 10. A large amount of cold water that is constantly cooled to a predetermined temperature is stored in the cold water tank 10 (the cold water may be cooled using a separate cooler), and the cold water is pumped through the pump 29. The water is ejected into the spray cooler 36 as small droplets from the spray ports 39a, 39b, . . . . Therefore, the air that has entered the spray cooler 36 comes into contact with water droplets through the ejection pipes 39a, 39b, etc., and exchanges heat quickly and efficiently. Excess moisture due to cooling is condensed and removed, and insufficient moisture is Humidified and saturated at a temperature approximately equal to the cold water temperature,
It exits from the reflux pipe 37. On the other hand, the water that has been deprived of heat dissolves or suspends odors, dust particles, germs, etc. in the show case, and is not suitable for repeated use, so it is passed through the conduit 41 to the filter 42 and passed through the conduit 41'. The cold water is returned to the cold water tank 10 via. For this reason, it is preferable that the filter 42 is a normal filter made by layering an adsorbent material such as activated carbon, diatomaceous earth, acid clay, or ion exchange resin. The cooled air leaving the spray cooler 36 still carries some droplets,
Since it is wet, it is completely dehydrated by the second cyclone 43. Therefore, water droplets are removed and only air with saturated humidity returns to the show case 1 via the reflux pipe 47. At this time, if you want to obtain a constant humidity (e.g. 60% humidity) instead of a saturated humidity, 1℃
A certain amount of dry air may be sent from the air pipe 44 and mixed.

A bypass pipe 48 is provided between the suction pipe 25 and the reflux pipe 47 of the fan 30, and an air flow rate control device 49 such as a damper is installed on the bypass pipe 48.
is provided.

On the other hand, inside the case, there are detection devices A ₁ , A ₂ for detecting the temperature inside the case, and detection devices B ₁ , B ₂ for detecting the humidity inside the case.
An operating section 50 is provided which receives these detection signals and operates the ventilation volume control device 49, and when the temperature inside the case changes due to the loading and unloading of sushi toppings or other products, the ventilation volume control device 49 is activated. By controlling the bypass amount of air from the reflux pipe 47 to the suction pipe 25, a large amount of temperature-controlled and humidity-controlled air is temporarily circulated, thereby controlling the temperature and humidity inside the case. . In the figure, reference numeral 44 indicates an air supply pipe, the end of which is opened to the cyclone 43, which sends dry air for humidity control as needed, and also blows steam to heat the circulating air. It is also possible to sterilize the show case 1 and piping via the pipe 47. Further, 5 is a refrigerant compressor of the cooling water cooling system, 6 is a condenser for the refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 5, and 7 is a conduit connected to the evaporator 8 in the cold water tank 10.

Further, C is a temperature detector in the cooling water tank 10, temperature detectors A ₁ and A ₂ are electrically coupled to the unillustrated power of the fan 30, and temperature detector C is electrically coupled to the compressor 5. do.

The reflux pipe 47 and the suction pipe 25 are connected to the four-way switching valve 22.
It communicates with the gas inlet pipe and the suction pipes 2 and 3 of the show case 1 via. The drawing shows reflux pipe 4.
7 is shown communicating with the inlet pipe 2 provided on the ceiling plate of the case 1, and the suction pipe 25 is shown communicating with the suction pipe 3 provided at the bottom of the case 1. At this time, the cold air flows through the case. It flows into the case from above and is discharged from below. When the four-way switching valve 22 is rotated 90 degrees, the above communication relationship is reversed, and cold air flows in from below the show case.
Switching to discharge from above means
It should be obvious.

When operating the above device, first the compressor 5 is activated to lower the water in the cold water tank 10 to a predetermined temperature.
When the temperature drops to a predetermined temperature, the switch of the compressor 5 is opened and stopped by a command from the temperature detector C, and when the temperature rises, it is closed and operated to perform ON/OFF control.

When the fan 30 and pump 29 are operated, the air inside the show case 1 is purified through the first cyclone 34, the spray cooler 36, and the second cyclone 43.
The cooled gas discharge ports 2a, 2 of the gas inlet pipe 2
b, 2c... into the case 1, and the suction port 3
are sucked into the suction pipe 3 from a, 3b, 3c...
Circulate with cold air preparation device. When the temperature inside the case 1 falls to a predetermined temperature, the temperature detectors A ₁ and A ₂ detect this, and this is transmitted to the actuator 50 to rotate the ventilation amount control device 49, so that the air in the reflux pipe 47 is diverted to the bypass pipe 4.
8, suction pipe 25, fan 30, first cyclone 3
4. It circulates through the spray cooler 36 and the second cyclone 43, and enters the show case 1 at all or only in a limited amount. Furthermore, when the temperature inside the case 1 rises rapidly, the ventilation amount control device 49 stops, returning to the previous state and circulating cold air only inside the case 1. By doing this, the inside of the case is kept at a constant temperature, but the humidity inside the case is also adjusted by adjusting the humidity of the cooling gas. For this purpose, the humidity detectors B ₁ and B ₂ are adjusted to a predetermined humidity scale and connected to the operating section 50. When the relative humidity inside the case fluctuates, the humidity detectors B ₁ and B ₂ detect this fluctuation, and the operating unit 50 detects the fluctuation.
The humidity inside the case can be controlled for the same reason as above.

By adopting the above method, the first cyclone 3
4. The temperature and humidity inside the case 1 can be adjusted by operating or stopping the ventilation control device 49 while constantly operating the spray cooler 36 and the second cyclone 43, so that the temperature inside the case is constantly maintained at a constant temperature. It is possible to maintain this.

The cooled air whose temperature, humidity, and bacteria have been sterilized by the above-mentioned cold air preparation device is passed through the cold air supply pipes 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, etc., as shown in Fig. 1. The gas enters the air case 1 through the discharge ports 2a, 2b, 2c, etc., cools the inside of the air case 1 sufficiently homogeneously, moves to the bottom along the tapered part of the air case, and finally reaches the gas suction ports 3a, 3b, 3c, and so on. From there, the gas flows back into the cold air preparation device through the gas suction pipe 3. In this way, the interior of the case is uniformly cooled, eliminating uneven refrigeration.

In this embodiment, air is used as the gas to be ventilated into the show case, but other gases may be used depending on the type of product. For example, in the case of foods that contain large amounts of fats and oils, carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas, or other inert gas may be used instead of air to prevent fat oxidation. In the case of fruits, by circulating and aerating ethylene gas, it is possible to simultaneously promote cooling and ripening of the fruit. As in this example, when the product is topping for sushi, nitrogen gas is used to prevent fat oxidation.
The temperature is kept as close to 0℃ as possible and circulated.
At the same time, it is good to use it as a gas for air curtains.

Since the transparent case according to the present invention adopts the above-described structure, the temperature inside the case does not drop excessively and freeze the fish, meat, and other products, and the lowest possible temperature is maintained to prevent spoilage. Speed becomes extremely slow. Moreover, this effect is further enhanced by the installation of an air curtain and the ventilation of sterilized and sanitary gas. Furthermore, since the temperature inside the case becomes uniform extremely quickly, it is possible to precisely control the temperature inside the case, so it is possible to store the product at the temperature that is most suitable for the product. Manufacturing is also possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a show case body according to the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views illustrating another embodiment of the show case body. FIG. 4 is a layout diagram of the entire cold air preparation device, but the structure of the show case is partially omitted and simplified. 1... Showcase, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3...
Cooling gas inlet pipe, 2a, 2b, 2c...Cooling gas discharge port, 3...Gas suction pipe, 3a, 3b, 3
c... Gas suction port, 30... Fan, 34... Cyclone, 36... Spray cooler, 43... Second cyclone,
49...Airflow rate control device, 50...Operation unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling gas supply section is provided on one side of the case, and a gas suction section is provided on the other side, and these gas supply section and gas suction section are connected via a cold air adjustment device. The cold air adjustment device is composed of a spray cooler and a cyclone connected in series to the spray cooler, and the spray cooler includes a cylindrical main body, a gas introduction pipe opened on the side of the main body, A reflux pipe fixedly inserted into the main body from above, a cold water pipe installed around the reflux pipe and having a number of spray ports that spray cold water into the main body, and a cold water tank that supplies cold water to the cold water pipe. , a conduit that opens at the bottom of the main body and takes out the drain that has accumulated inside the main body and returns it to the cold water tank; a filter installed in the middle of the conduit; and a refrigeration device to cool the cold water in the cold water tank to a predetermined temperature. The cyclone comprises: a main body; an opening bored on the side of the main body through which the reflux pipe of the spray cooler communicates; and a reflux pipe opening above the main body.