KR102308769B1 - Vaccum storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum storage apparatus. The vacuum storage apparatus of the present invention comprises: an inner cylinder which forms a storage space with an open upper portion and is provided with a suction unit for sucking an air inside; an outer cylinder accommodating the inner cylinder therein to form a double wall together with the inner cylinder; a lid coupled to an upper portion of a housing, in which the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are coupled, to seal the open upper portion, and provided with a vacuum release valve capable of releasing a vacuum in the storage space; a vacuum pump which sucks the air in the storage space through the suction unit to form the vacuum in the storage space; a thermoelectric element provided to supply or discharge a heat to the storage space; and a lower case which is coupled to a lower portion of the housing and accommodating a substrate on which the vacuum pump, and wherein the thermoelectric element and a control unit are mounted. An object of the present invention is to provide the vacuum storage apparatus capable of providing easy and excellent usability of a stored material.

Description

VACUUM STORAGE DEVICE

The present invention relates to a device capable of storing items such as grains or feed, such as rice, in a vacuum state.

There is a big difference in freshness or quality maintenance depending on the storage temperature or humidity of grains or feed, and oxidation or spoilage may proceed as the storage period elapses.

The matters described as the background technology of the invention are only for enhancing the understanding of the background of the present invention, and should not be taken as acknowledging that they correspond to the prior art already known to those of ordinary skill in the art. will be

US 1021475300000 B1

An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum storage device capable of maintaining the freshness and quality of items such as grains such as rice or feed, etc. as excellently as possible over a long period of time, while providing easy and excellent usability of the stored material. .

The present invention vacuum storage device for achieving the above object,

an inner cylinder having an upper open storage space and having a suction unit for sucking air therein;

an outer cylinder accommodating the inner cylinder therein to form a double wall together with the inner cylinder;

a lid coupled to the upper portion of the housing in which the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are coupled to seal the open upper portion, and a lid provided with a vacuum release valve capable of releasing the vacuum in the storage space;

a vacuum pump that sucks air in the storage space through the suction unit to form the storage space into a vacuum;

a thermoelectric element provided to supply or discharge heat to the storage space;

a lower case coupled to a lower portion of the housing and accommodating a substrate on which the vacuum pump, the thermoelectric element, and the controller are mounted;

It is characterized in that it comprises a.

When the upper side of the housing is closed with the lid, a blade having flexibility and airtightness is installed along the lower edge of the lid to maintain a vacuum state of the storage space,

A deodorant storage container for accommodating the deodorant may be provided on the lower surface of the lid.

A monitor for displaying the temperature and humidity in the storage container may be further installed in the outer cylinder or the lower case.

An inner cylinder cover is provided on the lower side of the inner cylinder, and the inner cylinder cover is made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity;

The thermoelectric element may be mounted to perform heat transfer to the inner cylinder cover.

The thermoelectric element is mounted so that one side is in surface contact with the inner cylinder cover and the other side is in surface contact with the heat exchanger;

A cooling fan may be provided in the lower case to blow the air to cool the heat exchanger.

In addition, the present invention vacuum storage device for achieving the above object,

an inner cylinder forming a storage space with an open top;

an outer cylinder provided to surround the outside of the inner cylinder;

a lid provided to seal the upper portion of the storage space;

a thermoelectric element provided to transfer heat to and from the storage space by conduction;

a heat exchanger installed to exchange heat with the thermoelectric element;

a vacuum pump installed to discharge air from the storage space;

a first air passage connecting the storage space to the suction side of the vacuum pump;

a first valve installed to selectively supply external air or air from the first air passage to the suction side of the vacuum pump;

a second air passage connecting the discharge side of the vacuum pump to the heat exchanger;

a third air passage provided to supply the air passing through the heat exchanger to the storage space;

a second valve installed in the third air passage to supply the air that has passed through the heat exchanger to the storage space or to discharge it to the outside;

a controller configured to receive signals from a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor provided to measure the temperature, humidity and pressure of the storage space, and control the first valve, the second valve, the vacuum pump and the thermoelectric element;

It is characterized in that it comprises a.

The control unit, when the lid is opened and closed,

determining whether the humidity of the storage space is higher than a target humidity;

When the humidity of the storage space is higher than the target humidity, in a state in which the storage space is connected to the vacuum pump by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the storage space by the second valve, the humidity of the storage space driving the vacuum pump to perform dehumidification while driving the thermoelectric element to cool the heat exchanger until it reaches a set target humidity;

When the target humidity is reached, control is started so that the thermoelectric element follows the target temperature of the storage space, and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside with the second valve until the target vacuum pressure is reached. It may be configured to drive the vacuum pump to implement a vacuum in the storage space.

The control unit, after the lid is opened and closed, before performing the dehumidification,

In a state in which the storage space is connected to the vacuum pump through the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside through the second valve, the vacuum pump may be driven for a predetermined first reference time.

The control unit may be configured to notify the user when the vacuum level of the storage space does not reach a predetermined basic vacuum level after the first reference time has elapsed.

The control unit is

If the humidity of the storage space is higher than the target humidity even after the dehumidification is performed for a predetermined second reference time,

After driving the thermoelectric element to heat the heat exchanger, the second valve connects the heat exchanger to the outside, the vacuum pump is driven for a predetermined third reference time, and the second valve operates the heat exchanger again. It may be configured to repeatedly perform dehumidification for the second reference time in a state connected to the storage space.

The control unit is

When cooling of the thermoelectric element is required, the vacuum pump may be driven in a state in which the vacuum pump is connected to the outside by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside by the second valve.

The control unit is

When the target temperature is higher than the temperature of the storage space, the heat exchanger is heated in a state in which the storage space is connected to the vacuum pump by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the storage space by the second valve. heating the storage space with air by driving the vacuum pump for a predetermined fourth reference time while driving the thermoelectric element to do so;

When the fourth reference time elapses, in a state in which the vacuum pump is connected to the outside by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside by the second valve, while driving the thermoelectric element to heat the storage space , after driving the vacuum pump for a predetermined fifth reference time, it may be configured to repeat heating the storage space with air again for the fourth reference time.

The present invention makes it possible to provide an easy and excellent usability of a stored product while maintaining excellent and stable freshness and quality of goods such as grains such as rice or feed for as long as possible.

1 is an external view showing an embodiment of a vacuum storage device according to the present invention;
2 and 3 are exploded perspective views of the vacuum storage device of FIG. 1;
4 is a view illustrating a suction unit provided in the inner cylinder of the vacuum storage device of FIG. 1;
5 is a view illustrating in detail a lower case of the vacuum storage device of FIG. 1;
6 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of a vacuum storage device according to the present invention;
7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control unit of the vacuum storage device of FIG. 6;
8 to 11 are views explaining the operation of the vacuum storage device according to FIG. 7, respectively;
12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control unit of the vacuum storage device of FIG. 6;
13 and 14 are views each illustrating an operation of the vacuum storage device according to FIG. 12 .

Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the present specification or application are only exemplified for the purpose of describing the embodiments according to the present invention, and the embodiments according to the present invention may be implemented in various forms. and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the present specification or application.

Since the embodiment according to the present invention can have various changes and can have various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the present specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiment according to the concept of the present invention with respect to a specific disclosed form, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first and/or second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another element, for example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly The second component may also be referred to as the first component.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it is understood that the other component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle. Other expressions describing the relationship between elements, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "neighboring to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted similarly.

The terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate that the described features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof exist, and include one or more other features or numbers. , it should be understood that it does not preclude the existence or addition of steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as meanings consistent with the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present specification, they are not to be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. .

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in each figure indicate like elements.

1 to 5, the vacuum storage device of the present invention, forming a storage space (1) with an open upper portion, the inner cylinder (5) provided with a suction unit (3) for sucking the air inside; an outer cylinder (7) for accommodating the inner cylinder (5) therein to form a double wall together with the inner cylinder (5); A vacuum release valve 9 capable of releasing the vacuum in the storage space 1 is coupled to the upper portion of the housing 8 in which the inner cylinder 5 and the outer cylinder 7 are coupled to seal the open upper portion. provided with a lid (11); a vacuum pump (13) for sucking air in the storage space (1) through the suction unit (3) to form a vacuum in the storage space (1); a thermoelectric element 15 provided to supply or discharge heat to the storage space 1; It is coupled to the lower portion of the housing 8, and is configured to include a lower case 19 in which the vacuum pump 13, the thermoelectric element 15, and the substrate on which the control unit 17 is mounted are accommodated.

That is, in the vacuum storage device of the present invention, grains such as rice or beans or particulate matter such as feed are accommodated in the storage space 1 which is the inner space of the inner cylinder 5, and the vacuum pump 13 is By this, the storage space 1 can be formed in a vacuum state, as well as the temperature of the storage space 1 can be adjusted and maintained at a desired temperature by the user by the thermoelectric element 15, so that the storage object It is to prevent oxidation and spoilage of stored products by allowing them to be stored in a refrigerated or warm storage state at a constant temperature in a vacuum state, so that their freshness and quality can be maintained as excellently as possible for a long period of time.

In addition, the lid 11 seals the storage space 1 just by putting it on the upper part of the housing 8 so that a vacuum can be easily formed, and the vacuum is released with the vacuum release valve 9 . And it can be easily opened by simply lifting, so that a user can easily store or take out an object in the storage space 1 and use it, thereby providing easy and excellent usability of the stored object.

The lid 11 is formed in the form of a lid completely separated from the housing 8, and in the lid 11, when the upper side of the housing 8 is closed with the lid 11, the storage space 1 ), a blade 21 having flexibility and airtightness is installed along the lower edge of the edge of the lid 11 to easily secure and maintain the vacuum state.

The blade 21 may be formed of a material such as silicon to seal between the lid 11 and the upper surface of the housing 8 .

In addition, a separate blade may be installed on the upper side of the housing 8 to correspond to the blade 21 of the lid 11 .

The vacuum release valve 9 of the lid 11 is a kind of check valve, so that the user can easily release the vacuum in the storage space 1 by pressing or pushing the vacuum release valve 9 . is composed

In addition, a deodorant storage container 23 for accommodating a deodorant is provided on the lower surface of the lid 11, and if the deodorant is stored there, the odor generated from the stored goods stored in the storage space 1 can be removed. have.

A monitor 25 for displaying the temperature and humidity in the storage container may be further installed in the outer cylinder 7 or the lower case 19 .

That is, the monitor 25 is installed to display information on the exterior of the vacuum storage device, and the control unit 17 measures the temperature and humidity in the storage container and displays it to the outside through the monitor 25 . , to provide information in the storage space 1 to the user.

Of course, the control unit 17 may be configured to display the vacuum state of the storage space 1 through the monitor 25 .

An inner cylinder cover 27 is provided on the lower side of the inner cylinder 5, and the inner cylinder cover 27 is made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity; The thermoelectric element 15 is mounted to perform heat transfer to the inner cylinder cover 27 .

That is, the inner cylinder cover 27 is mounted on the lower side of the inner cylinder 5 and heated or cooled by the thermoelectric element 15 , thereby indirectly cooling or heating the storage space 1 inside the inner cylinder 5 . it is designed to do so.

Of course, such a configuration is advantageous for vacuum formation of the inner cylinder 5 and is advantageous for the assembly and mounting side of the thermoelectric element 15, but the inner cylinder cover 27 is primarily heated or cooled, and secondarily Since the temperature of the storage space 1 is adjusted in such a way that the inner cylinder 5 is heated or cooled, the efficiency may be relatively low in terms of heat transfer.

Therefore, unlike the above, the inner cylinder 5 itself may be made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity, and the thermoelectric element 15 may be directly mounted on the outside of the inner cylinder 5, and the inner cylinder 5 Partially composed of a material with excellent thermal conductivity and assembled to form an airtight, and the thermoelectric element 15 may be mounted on a portion (eg, the lower portion of the inner cylinder) made of the material with excellent thermal conductivity. .

The thermoelectric element 15 is preferably a Peltier element in which the cooling side and the heating side are switched when the direction of application of power is changed.

4 shows an example constituting the suction part 3 of the inner cylinder 5, the suction part 3 is configured as a kind of check valve with a filter, and the vacuum of the storage space 1 is While maintaining a stable state, when the air inside the storage space 1 is discharged by the vacuum pump 13, the filter prevents foreign substances such as grain powder from flowing into the vacuum pump 13, etc. Thus, failure of the vacuum pump 13 or the like can be prevented.

The outer cylinder 7 forms a double wall together with the inner cylinder 5 as described above so that the storage space 1 is surrounded by the double wall structure, thereby insulating the storage space 1 from the outside. can do.

In addition, by installing the see-through windows 29-1 and 29-2 of transparent material on certain parts of the side surfaces of the outer cylinder 7 and the inner cylinder 5, respectively, the storage state of the goods inside the storage space 1 can be directly viewed from the outside. It is set up so that you can check it.

The thermoelectric element 15 is mounted so that one side surface-contacts the inner cylinder cover 27 and the other side surface-contacts the heat exchanger 31; A cooling fan 33 for cooling the heat exchanger 31 by blowing air is provided in the lower case 19 .

The heat exchanger 31 is provided with a plurality of fins made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity such as metal to maximize the area in contact with air, and in this embodiment, the cooling fan 33 has taken a configuration to be directly mounted on the heat exchanger 31, but unlike this, by blowing air as a whole in the lower case 19, the cooling fan 33 as well as the vacuum pump 13 and the control unit 17 It may also be mounted to cool them together.

In addition, it is preferable to provide a plurality of holes through which the outside and air can enter and exit in the lower case 19 to improve the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element 15 and the like.

In the embodiment configured as described above, the control unit 17 drives the vacuum pump 13 to discharge the air in the storage space 1, thereby maintaining the inside of the storage space 1 in a vacuum state, and also By controlling and maintaining the temperature of the storage space 1 at a desired target temperature with the thermoelectric element 15 , the freshness and quality of grains or feed stored in the storage space 1 can be maintained as excellently as possible over a long period of time. can

In particular, when the power application direction of the thermoelectric element 15 is changed, the thermoelectric element 15 can switch between a heating state and a cooling state of the inner cylinder 5 , so that the storage space 1 is stored It may be used as a refrigeration space for water or as a warm space, so that more various items can be stored.

In addition, if the suction part 3 is provided on the upper side rather than the bottom of the inner cylinder 5 so that the watertightness of the lower part of the inner cylinder 5 is secured, the storage space 1 has a particulate matter such as grain or feed. In addition, since it is possible to store liquid, it may be used for the purpose of storing kimchi, as well as fermentation and storage of alcoholic beverages or soy sauce.

6 is a view showing another embodiment of the vacuum storage device according to the present invention, the inner cylinder (5) forming a storage space (1) with an open upper portion; an outer cylinder (7) provided to surround the outside of the inner cylinder (5); A lid 11 provided to seal the upper portion of the storage space (1); a thermoelectric element 15 provided to transfer heat to and from the storage space 1 by conduction; a heat exchanger (31) installed to exchange heat with the thermoelectric element (15); a vacuum pump (13) installed to discharge air from the storage space (1); a first air passage (35) connecting the storage space (1) to the suction side of the vacuum pump (13); a first valve 37 installed to selectively supply external air or air from the first air passage 35 to the suction side of the vacuum pump 13; a second air passage (39) connecting the discharge side of the vacuum pump (13) to the heat exchanger (31); a third air passage (41) provided to supply the air that has passed through the heat exchanger (31) to the storage space (1); a second valve (43) installed in the third air passage (41) to supply the air passing through the heat exchanger (31) to the storage space (1) or to discharge it to the outside; Signals from the temperature sensor 45 , the humidity sensor 47 , and the pressure sensor 49 provided to measure the temperature, humidity and pressure of the storage space 1 are received, and the first valve 37 , the first It is configured to include a control unit 17 for controlling the two valves 43, the vacuum pump 13, and the thermoelectric element (15).

In this embodiment, the other configuration is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5 , the heat exchanger 31 is directly mounted on the inner cylinder 5 so that the inner cylinder cover 27 is omitted, and the first reservoir The furnace 35, the second air passage 39, the third air passage 41, the first valve 37, and the second valve 43 are different in that the configuration is added, and in the drawing, the outer cylinder 7 ), etc. are omitted and only the new part is displayed.

That is, in this embodiment, the air discharged from the storage space 1 by the vacuum pump 13 is supplied to the vacuum pump 13 through the first air passage 35 and then the second air passage The air supplied to the heat exchanger 31 through 39 and passing through the heat exchanger 31 is configured to be returned to the storage space 1 through the third air passage 41 .

Here, the heat exchanger 31 forms a closed space connecting the second air passage 39 and the third air passage 41, and has a structure in which external air cannot be mixed. It is configured so that the air introduced into the second air passage (39) flows and exchanges heat, and then is discharged through the third air passage (41).

The first valve 37 is installed in the first air passage 35 to deliver the air in the storage space 1 to the vacuum pump 13, and the air in the storage space 1 is It is configured to be able to switch between states of blocking and delivering external air to the vacuum pump (13).

The second valve 43 is installed in the third air passage 41 to deliver the air passing through the heat exchanger 31 to the storage space 1, and the storage space 1 is While closing, it is configured to be able to switch between the states of discharging the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 31 to the outside.

Here, the 'outside' is formed of the storage space 1, the first air passage 35, the second air passage 39, and the third air passage 41 as well as the outside of the device of the present invention. As meaning the outside of the enclosed air circulation space, it may be interpreted that the inner space of the lower case 19 having a hole through which air can communicate with the outside is also included.

The first air passage 35 may be coupled to the suction part 3 of the inner tube 5 , and similarly to the third air passage 41 may be connected to the inside of the upper side of the inner tube 5 .

On the other hand, the temperature sensor 45, the humidity sensor 47, and the pressure sensor 49 provided to measure the temperature, humidity and pressure of the storage space 1 may be directly installed in the inner cylinder 5, In consideration of the airtightness of the inner cylinder (5), it is installed on the first air passage (35), and the temperature, humidity, and pressure of the air flowing into the first air passage (35) is applied to the storage space (1). It would also be desirable to be able to measure or estimate the temperature, humidity and pressure of

In this case, the control unit 17 drives the vacuum pump 13 for a short time within a few seconds to discharge the air in the storage space 1 to the first air passage 35 to measure the physical properties. can make it

Referring to FIG. 7 , the control unit 17 determines whether the humidity of the storage space 1 is higher than a target humidity when the lid 11 is opened and closed (S71); When the humidity of the storage space 1 is higher than the target humidity, the storage space 1 is connected to the vacuum pump 13 through the first valve 37 as shown in FIG. 8, and the second valve 43 ) in a state in which the heat exchanger 31 is connected to the storage space 1, the thermoelectric dehumidifying by driving the vacuum pump 13 while driving the element 15 (S72); When the target humidity is reached, control is started so that the thermoelectric element 15 follows the target temperature of the storage space 1 as shown in FIG. 9 , and the heat exchanger 31 is operated by the second valve 43 . ) in the state connected to the outside, by driving the vacuum pump 13 until the target vacuum pressure is reached (S73), it may be configured to implement a vacuum in the storage space (1).

That is, when the lid 11 is opened and closed as described above, since the vacuum of the storage space 1 is released, a vacuum must be implemented to reach the target vacuum pressure, and the humidity of the storage space 1 is the target humidity. If it is higher, the humidity is first lowered as described above, and then vacuum is performed at the target vacuum pressure.

For reference, a plurality of arrows indicated on the thermoelectric element 15 in the drawing means heating in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the opposite side means cooling.

In FIG. 9 , since the thermoelectric element 15 may cool or heat the storage space 1 according to the target temperature, arrows indicating the heating are omitted.

Here, the target vacuum pressure, target temperature, target humidity, etc. are set by the user, and target values recommended for specific grains in advance may be automatically set at once by selecting a menu or the like.

As described above, the storage space 1 is connected to the vacuum pump 13 by the first valve 37 and the heat exchanger 31 is connected to the storage space 1 by the second valve 43 . When the vacuum pump 13 is driven while driving the thermoelectric element 15 to cool the heat exchanger 31 in a state connected to the The moisture in the heat exchanger 31 is condensed and removed, and the dried air is supplied to the storage space 1, so that the inside of the storage space 1 is quickly dehumidified.

Here, the condensed water condensed in the heat exchanger 31 is drained to a fan provided separately through a check valve at the lower side of the heat exchanger 31 and removed by natural evaporation, or externally through the second valve 43 . It will be possible to evaporate by the air discharged to the

Meanwhile, the control unit 17 connects the storage space 1 to the vacuum pump 13 with the first valve 37 after the lid 11 is opened and closed and before the dehumidification is performed. and, in a state in which the heat exchanger 31 is externally connected with the second valve 43, the vacuum pump 13 may be driven for a predetermined first reference time (S70).

This may cause the lid 11 to close incorrectly when it is opened and closed. In this case, the vacuum of the storage space 1 is not formed, and if this state is left for a long time, damage to the stored product may result. After opening and closing (11), a slight vacuum is formed preferentially, so that the closed state of the lid (11) can be checked by itself.

In addition, if a slight vacuum is formed after opening and closing the lid 11 , the closed state of the lid 11 in an incomplete state is automatically corrected in the vacuum forming process, or the blade 21 of the lid 11 is deformed. This is because it may be in a state capable of forming a vacuum.

If the vacuum level of the storage space 1 does not reach a predetermined basic vacuum level after the first reference time has elapsed, the control unit 17 may be configured to notify the user by sound or light.

Therefore, the basic vacuum degree may be set to a relatively small level of vacuum within a range that can confirm whether the lid 11 is closed in a state in which the vacuum of the storage space 1 can be properly formed, One reference time may be set to a time of a level capable of forming the basic vacuum degree.

The control unit 17 heats the heat exchanger 31 as shown in FIG. 10 when the humidity of the storage space 1 is higher than the target humidity even after the dehumidification is performed for a predetermined second reference time. After driving the thermoelectric element 15 to do so, the heat exchanger 31 is connected to the outside with the second valve 43, and the vacuum pump 13 is driven for a predetermined third reference time (S74). ), in a state in which the heat exchanger 31 is connected to the storage space 1 through the second valve 43 again, dehumidifying for the second reference time may be repeated.

That is, when the thermoelectric element 15 is controlled to cool the heat exchanger 31 to perform the dehumidification, the inner cylinder 5 is heated on the contrary. Since damage to the objects stored in the storage space 1 may occur, the duration of the dehumidification is to perform only a period of time for which the inner cylinder 5 is not heated excessively in consideration of the heat capacity of the inner cylinder 5 and the like. .

Therefore, the second reference time is a time to the extent that the inner cylinder 5 is not heated excessively in consideration of the heat capacity of the inner cylinder 5 and the stored material, as described above, and is designed by a number of experiments and analysis according to the above effect. can be determined negatively.

Thereafter, the thermoelectric element 15 is driven to heat the heat exchanger 31 as described above, thereby lowering the heated temperature of the inner cylinder 5, and at the same time removing the condensed water condensed and buried in the heat exchanger 31. After heating, the air in the storage space 1 is pumped with the vacuum pump 13 to evaporate the condensed water of the heat exchanger 31 and discharged to the outside, and then again through the second valve 43 By connecting the heat exchanger 31 to the storage space 1, driving the thermoelectric element 15 to cool the heat exchanger 31, and repeating the process of performing dehumidification for the second reference time. , to enable rapid and reliable dehumidification while minimizing damage to the items stored in the storage space (1).

Here, the third reference time is preferably set to be as short as possible to effectively evaporate the condensed water of the heat exchanger 31 and discharge it to the outside while minimizing the increase in the vacuum degree of the storage space 1 .

As described above, when dehumidification for the second reference time and discharge of condensed water for the third reference time are repeated, the storage space 1 is quickly and reliably dehumidified, and the degree of vacuum is gradually increased during the third reference time. Therefore, it is possible to more quickly reach the target vacuum pressure in the subsequent vacuum process.

Such a quick and reliable dehumidification function allows the vacuum storage device of the present invention to be effectively used in high-temperature and high-humidity areas such as tropical regions to store grains and the like in a dry low-temperature vacuum state for a long time with excellent quality.

On the other hand, when cooling of the thermoelectric element 15 is required, the control unit 17 connects the vacuum pump 13 to the outside with the first valve 37 , and connects the vacuum pump 13 with the second valve 43 . It is configured to drive the vacuum pump 13 in a state in which the heat exchanger 31 is connected to the outside.

That is, for example, when the thermoelectric element 15 is driven in a state of cooling the inner cylinder 5 , the heat exchanger 31 is in a heated state, and cooling the heat exchanger 31 is the thermoelectric element Since (15) is cooled, the first valve 37 and the second valve 43 are formed in communication with the outside as described above, and when the vacuum pump 13 is driven, the heat exchanger 31 Cooling is effectively achieved as external air is forcibly passed through (see FIG. 11).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12 , when the target temperature of the storage space 1 is higher than the temperature of the storage space 1 , the control unit 17 uses the first valve 37 to store the storage space 1 . In a state in which the space 1 is connected to the vacuum pump 13 and the heat exchanger 31 is connected to the storage space 1 by the second valve 43 , the heat exchanger 31 is heated to heat the storage space 1 with air by driving the vacuum pump 13 for a predetermined fourth reference time while driving the thermoelectric element 15 to do so (S121, see FIG. 13);

When the fourth reference time elapses, as shown in FIG. 14 , the vacuum pump 13 is connected to the outside by the first valve 37 , and the heat exchanger 31 is connected to the outside by the second valve 43 . In the state connected to, while driving the thermoelectric element 15 to heat the storage space 1, the vacuum pump 13 is driven for a predetermined fifth reference time (S122), and then again the fourth It may be configured to repeat heating the storage space 1 with air for a reference time.

When the control unit 17 performs the control as described above, the storage space 1 is directly heated by the air heated inside the heat exchanger 31 and indirectly through heat conduction by the thermoelectric element 15 . By repeating the heating state, it can be heated very quickly, and in particular, it is possible to quickly and uniformly increase the temperature of the object stored in the storage space (1).

That is, when the temperature of the storage space 1 is raised only by controlling the thermoelectric element 15 to heat the storage space 1 , the object in the storage space 1 is the inner cylinder 5 . Since it is heated from the edge adjacent to Until the target temperature is reached, the temperature deviation of the stored items becomes severe, and the overall storage quality of the stored material is deteriorated. If the indirect heating through conduction is alternately and repeatedly performed, the stored material can reach the target temperature more quickly in a more uniform state.

Accordingly, the fourth reference time and the fifth reference time may be determined by design through a large number of experiments and analysis in accordance with the purpose as described above.

That is, the fourth reference time is that the inside of the storage space 1 is directly heated with the air heated by the heat exchanger 31 , and accordingly the inner cylinder 5 is cooled by the thermoelectric element 15 . Considering that, the temperature of the inner cylinder 5 is set so that the heating inside the storage space 1 directly by the air heated by the heat exchanger 31 can be maximized without significantly reducing the temperature.

This is possible because the heat capacity of the inner cylinder 5 constituting the storage space 1 and the storage thereof is larger than the heat capacity of the heat exchanger 31, so that the greater the difference in the heat capacity as described above, the greater the fourth reference time is relative. may be set to be long.

On the other hand, the fifth reference time is a time sufficient to restore the temperature of the inner cylinder 5 cooled during the fourth reference time by heating the storage space 1 by heat conduction with the thermoelectric element 15 . is set as the basis, and ultimately the temperature of the inner cylinder 5 is maintained at a substantially constant level while the air heating for the fourth reference time and the conduction heating for the fifth reference time are repeated. In this way, the heating of the inside of the storage space 1 by air is preferentially made.

By the control as described above, the storage material inside the storage space 1 maintains an almost constant temperature of the inner cylinder 5, and the heated air is repeatedly supplied to the heat exchanger 31 so that the overall temperature rises evenly and quickly. The target temperature is reached, and then the thermoelectric element 15 converges the temperature of the inner cylinder 5 to the target temperature, thereby maintaining a stable temperature.

Of course, such a control may be particularly useful in situations such as immediately after opening and closing of the lid 11 or when storing a new product.

Although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it is within the art that the present invention can be variously improved and changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention provided by the following claims. It will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.

One; storage space
3; suction unit
5; inner pain
7; outer box
8; housing
9; vacuum release valve
11; Lid
13; vacuum pump
15; thermoelectric element
17; control
19; lower case
21; blade
23; deodorant storage box
25; monitor
27; inner cover
29-1, 29-2; sight window
31; heat exchanger
33; cooling fan
35; first air passage
37; 1st valve
39; second air passage
41; 3rd air passage
43; 2nd valve
45; temperature Senser
47; humidity sensor
49; pressure sensor

Claims (12)

delete delete delete delete delete an inner cylinder forming a storage space with an open top;
an outer cylinder provided to surround the outside of the inner cylinder;
a lid provided to seal the upper portion of the storage space;
a thermoelectric element provided to transfer heat to and from the storage space by conduction;
a heat exchanger installed to exchange heat with the thermoelectric element;
a vacuum pump installed to discharge air from the storage space;
a first air passage connecting the storage space to the suction side of the vacuum pump;
a first valve installed to selectively supply external air or air from the first air passage to the suction side of the vacuum pump;
a second air passage connecting the discharge side of the vacuum pump to the heat exchanger;
a third air passage provided to supply the air passing through the heat exchanger to the storage space;
a second valve installed in the third air passage to supply the air that has passed through the heat exchanger to the storage space or to discharge it to the outside;
a controller configured to receive signals from a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor provided to measure the temperature, humidity and pressure of the storage space, and control the first valve, the second valve, the vacuum pump and the thermoelectric element;
A vacuum storage device comprising a. 7. The method of claim 6,
The control unit, when the lid is opened and closed,
determining whether the humidity of the storage space is higher than a target humidity;
When the humidity of the storage space is higher than the target humidity, in a state in which the storage space is connected to the vacuum pump by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the storage space by the second valve, the humidity of the storage space driving the vacuum pump to perform dehumidification while driving the thermoelectric element to cool the heat exchanger until it reaches a set target humidity;
When the target humidity is reached, control is started so that the thermoelectric element follows the target temperature of the storage space, and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside with the second valve until the target vacuum pressure is reached. configured to implement a vacuum in the storage space by driving the vacuum pump
Vacuum storage device characterized in that. 8. The method of claim 7,
The control unit, after the lid is opened and closed, before performing the dehumidification,
In a state in which the storage space is connected to the vacuum pump by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside by the second valve, the vacuum pump is configured to be driven for a predetermined first reference time
Vacuum storage device characterized in that. 9. The method of claim 8,
The control unit is configured to notify the user when the vacuum degree of the storage space does not reach a predetermined basic degree of vacuum after the first reference time has elapsed
Vacuum storage device characterized in that. 8. The method of claim 7,
The control unit is
If the humidity of the storage space is higher than the target humidity even after the dehumidification is performed for a predetermined second reference time,
After driving the thermoelectric element to heat the heat exchanger, the second valve connects the heat exchanger to the outside, the vacuum pump is driven for a predetermined third reference time, and the second valve operates the heat exchanger again. configured to repeat performing dehumidification for the second reference time while connected to the storage space
Vacuum storage device characterized in that. 8. The method of claim 7,
The control unit is
When cooling of the thermoelectric element is required, the vacuum pump is connected to the outside by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside by the second valve, and the vacuum pump is driven
Vacuum storage device characterized in that. 7. The method of claim 6,
The control unit is
When the set target temperature is higher than the temperature of the storage space, the first valve connects the storage space to the vacuum pump, and the second valve connects the heat exchanger to the storage space, and the heat exchanger is heated. heating the storage space with air by driving the vacuum pump for a predetermined fourth reference time while driving the thermoelectric element to do so;
When the fourth reference time elapses, in a state in which the vacuum pump is connected to the outside by the first valve and the heat exchanger is connected to the outside by the second valve, while driving the thermoelectric element to heat the storage space , configured to repeat heating the storage space with air again for the fourth reference time after driving the vacuum pump for a predetermined fifth reference time
Vacuum storage device characterized in that.

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