TW201800709A - Control device of display cabinet characterized by improving the increase of the calling frequency and the generation of the product deterioration accompanied with the over-frosting of the evaporator - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a control device of the display cabinet which can improve the increase of the calling frequency and the generation of the product deterioration accompanied with the over-frosting of the evaporator. The control device (40) is able to utilize a blower to make the cool air after processing a heat exchange with the evaporator circulate in the storage compartment, and includes: the over-frosting determination part (52) used to determine whether or not the over-frosting occurs at the evaporator; the notification part (53) used to notify the occurrence of the over-frosting under the situation that the over-frosting determination part (52) determines the over-frosting happening at the evaporator; and the temperature-increase suppressing part (54) used to execute a temperature-increase suppressing mode of suppressing the increase of temperature in the storage compartment.

Description

Controls for display cases

The present invention relates to a control device for a display case that displays products while cooling them in a warehouse.

Traditionally, multiple display cases (assorted items (Japanese: assorted items)) are installed in convenience stores and other stores (inside the store), while cooling goods such as beverages (refrigerated goods) or frosting (frozen goods) in the warehouse, Display sales. In this kind of display cabinet, when frost forms on the evaporator, the cooling in the warehouse will be hindered. Therefore, the evaporator will be defrosted regularly. However, it may be caused by some factors such as equipment failure. The evaporator has accumulated a large amount of frost as expected (over-frosting of the evaporator).

When such an over-frosting of the evaporator occurs, the cold air loop will be significantly obstructed, causing the temperature in the storehouse to rise. Therefore, conventionally, the above-mentioned evaporator has been judged and notified of excessive frost, so that an external maintenance center or the like can be called (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5912848

However, the main cause of the excessive frosting of the evaporator is not limited to the failure of the equipment, but also the influence of the wind of the air conditioner in the store and the intrusion of external air due to the state of the product display. For example, in open display cases that sell frozen goods such as frosted ice, the air curtain may be disturbed due to the wind of the air conditioner and the extension of the product, and the invasion of external air may increase, which may occur on the evaporator. Over frost.

The over-frosting caused by this cause is a temporary phenomenon, or it can be easily improved by the store salesperson (clerk), but in the past, with the occurrence of over-frosting, the situation was always notified and only stopped. In response to countermeasures such as operation, there is a problem that the deterioration of the product is further exacerbated or unnecessary calls to the maintenance center are increased.

The present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned conventional technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a showcase capable of improving the deterioration of products and the increase in the number of calls caused by excessive frosting of an evaporator.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, the control device of the present invention is a control device for a display case. The display case uses a blower to cool the cooled air after heat exchange with the evaporator in the warehouse, and displays the product while cooling it. The control device of the display case is characterized by including: an over-frosting judging unit that judges whether or not frosting is being generated on the evaporator; and a notification unit that judges that the over-frosting judging unit is at In the case where frosting is occurring on the evaporator, the notification unit notifies the occurrence of frosting; and the temperature rise suppressing unit, when the frosting determination unit determines that frosting is occurring on the evaporator, the above temperature The rise suppression unit executes a temperature rise suppression mode that suppresses a temperature rise in the cabinet.

The control device for a showcase according to the invention of claim 2 is based on the invention described above, wherein the over-frosting determination unit is based on satisfying that the temperature in the contained compartment is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value and the temperature in the contained compartment and The difference between the temperatures of the evaporators is a predetermined over-frosting determination condition that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and it is determined that over-frosting is occurring on the evaporator.

The control device for a showcase according to the invention of claim 3 is based on the above invention, and is characterized in that the over-frost judgment condition is a rule that can determine whether the frost amount of the evaporator has increased to a level that can be removed by one defrost. Baseline of the upper limit.

The control device for a showcase according to the invention of claim 4 is based on each of the above inventions, and the temperature rise suppressing unit suppresses a temperature rise in the store by increasing the rotation speed of the blower.

The control device of the showcase of the invention according to claim 5 is based on the above-mentioned inventions, and is characterized in that the notification unit notifies a terminal device installed in the store and / or an external maintenance center of the occurrence of frost formation.

The control device for a showcase according to the invention of claim 6 is based on the invention described above, and the temperature rise suppression unit ends the temperature rise suppression mode based on an instruction from the terminal device and / or the maintenance center.

The control device of the showcase of the invention according to claim 7 is based on the above-mentioned inventions, and is characterized in that it includes a defrost control unit that performs a regular defrost that defrosts the evaporator at a predetermined cycle. In the case where the over-frosting judging unit determines that frosting is occurring on the evaporator, the above-mentioned defrosting control unit implements one or more compulsory defrosting forcibly defrosting the evaporator.

The control device for a showcase according to the eighth aspect of the invention is based on the above-mentioned invention, and is characterized in that, when the forced defrost of the evaporator is performed, the defrost control unit resets the periodic defrost cycle.

The control device for a showcase according to the invention of claim 9 is based on the invention of claim 7 or claim 8, and is characterized in that the over-frosting judging unit controls the shortest defrosting interval between the evaporators. It is determined whether frosting has occurred on the evaporator, and in the case where the forced defrosting is performed a plurality of times, the forced defrosting of the evaporator is performed with a shortest defrosting interval.

The control device of the display case of the invention of claim 10 is based on the inventions of claims 7 to 9 and is characterized in that the defrosting control unit is based on information from a terminal location provided at the store and / or an external maintenance center. It is instructed to change the periodic defrosting cycle and / or to change the defrost end temperature of the evaporator.

Since the control device of the present invention circulates the cold air after exchanging heat with the evaporator in the warehouse by using a blower, thereby displaying the products while cooling the products, the display cabinet includes an over-frost judgment unit, which The frost judging unit judges whether frost has occurred on the evaporator; the notification unit, when the frost judging unit judges that frost has occurred on the evaporator, the notification unit notifies that frost has occurred; And the temperature rise suppressing section, when the frost formation judging section determines that frost is being generated on the evaporator, the temperature rise suppressing section executes a temperature rise suppressing mode that suppresses a temperature rise in the store, so even if In the case where frost is being generated on the evaporator for some reason, the temperature rise suppression unit can also execute a temperature rise mode that suppresses the temperature rise in the cabinet, thereby suppressing the temperature rise in the cabinet.

With this, for example, when the main cause of excessive frosting is a temporary cause, it is possible to prevent or suppress the deterioration of the product during the period before natural recovery. Even in the case of other causes, the notification unit notifies the occurrence of excessive frosting of the evaporator. Therefore, for example, as in the invention of claim 5, the maintenance is performed on the terminal device installed in the store and the external maintenance. The center has notified the occurrence of frost, which can urge salespersons and service personnel to take countermeasures.

In this case, when the main cause of excessive frosting is a cause that can be taken by a store salesperson, the deterioration of the product can be prevented or suppressed during the period before the main cause of excessive frosting is eliminated by the store. , And also eliminate unnecessary calls to the maintenance center. In addition, even in cases where service personnel are required to take countermeasures, unless it is an emergency response, it is only necessary to respond at regular maintenance to prevent deterioration of the products during the above period, Reduce the burden on service staff.

In this case, as in the invention of claim 2, if the over-frosting determination unit satisfies that the temperature in the contained compartment is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value and the difference between the temperature in the contained compartment and the temperature of the evaporator is a predetermined value The predetermined over-frosting judgment conditions including the above, and it is determined that over-frosting is occurring on the evaporator, can accurately detect the over-frosting of the evaporator.

In particular, as in the invention of claim 3, the over-frost judgment condition is set as a reference capable of judging whether the frosting amount of the evaporator has increased to a predetermined upper limit value that can be removed by one defrost, so that it can be evaporated. The frosting of the evaporator is judged to be frosting during the period that can be removed by one defrost, so that the frosting amount of the evaporator can be increased during the defrost as it is not completely processed, resulting in an abnormal increase in frost. Prevent the bad situation before it happens.

In addition, as in the invention of claim 4, if the temperature rise suppressing section suppresses the temperature rise in the room by increasing the rotation speed of the blower, it can effectively supplement the cold air loop which is deteriorated by excessive frosting of the evaporator, and can be effectively used. To prevent or suppress the deterioration of goods.

In addition, if the temperature rise suppression section terminates the temperature rise suppression mode based on instructions from the tablet terminal and the maintenance center as in the invention of claim 6, the salesperson and service staff can quickly remove the cause of excessive frosting based on the situation Return to normal operation.

In addition, according to the invention of claim 7, if the defrosting control unit is included, the defrosting control unit performs periodic defrosting to defrost the evaporator at a predetermined cycle, and the over-frost judgment unit determines that the evaporator is operating on the evaporator In the event of frost formation, the defrost control unit implements one or more forced defrosts for defrosting the evaporator. If frost is occurring on the evaporator, there is no need to wait for regular defrost. , Forcibly defrosting the evaporator, so as to quickly eliminate over-frosting. In particular, if the over-frost judgment condition is satisfied as in the invention of claim 3, and forced defrosting is performed, the frost on the evaporator can be reliably removed.

At this time, if the defrosting of the evaporator is implemented as in the invention of claim 8, the defrosting control unit resets the period of the periodic defrosting, so that the periodic defrosting can be eliminated immediately after the forced defrosting. In addition, the temperature inside the warehouse becomes higher.

In addition, if the over-frosting judging unit judges whether or not frosting has occurred on the evaporator with the shortest defrosting interval separating the evaporator as in the invention of claim 9, it is possible to prevent frequent forced defrosting. The frost causes a problem that the temperature in the storehouse rises. This is also true in the case where the compulsory defrosting is carried out multiple times in the invention of claim 7.

In addition, as in the invention of claim 10, the defrost control unit changes the period of the regular defrost and / or the end of the defrost of the evaporator based on instructions from the terminal device installed at the store and / or an external maintenance center. When the temperature is changed, the terminal device and the maintenance center can change the periodic defrosting cycle of the evaporator of the display cabinet and the defrosting end temperature, which is convenient.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a piping structure of a communication circuit of a store maintenance system 1 to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and a refrigeration unit R and the like of the store maintenance system 1.

(1) Refrigerating device R In FIG. 1, the refrigerating device R of the embodiment is composed of a plurality of display cases (separately placed display cases) 2 and a freezer 4, wherein a plurality of the display cases 2 are provided at, for example, a convenience store or the like. The inside of the store is near the wall, and the refrigerator 4 includes a compressor 3 and the like and is installed outside the store. Each showcase 2 includes an evaporator 6, an expansion valve (electronic expansion valve) 7, and an air-conditioning fan (not shown). The refrigerator 4 is provided with a condenser (not shown) in addition to the compressor 3. And condenser blower. In the embodiment, a single compressor 3 is used, but a plurality of compressors may be used to configure the compressor 3 of the refrigerator 4 in FIG. 1.

The aforementioned condenser is connected to the discharge side of the compressor 3 of the refrigerator 4, and the condenser is connected to a high-pressure pipe (refrigerant pipe) 8. The inlet of the evaporator 6 of each showcase 2 is connected in parallel with the high-pressure pipe 8 via an expansion valve 7, and the outlet of the evaporator 6 is connected to the suction side of the compressor 3 via a low-pressure pipe (refrigerant pipe) 9. Thereby, a well-known refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration device R is configured.

In addition, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant (for example, R404a, etc.) discharged from the compressor 3 is cooled by air in the condenser, flows out from the refrigerator 4 and enters the high-pressure pipe 8, and is distributed and supplied to each display via the high-pressure pipe 8.柜 2。 Cabinet 2. The refrigerant distributed from the common compressor 3 and supplied to each of the display cases 2 is throttled by each expansion valve 7, flows into the evaporator 6, and is evaporated. By utilizing the heat absorption effect at this time, the air passing through the air circulation fan for cooling air circulation is cooled, and the cooled cold air is circulated inside the storage room, thereby cooling the inside of each display case 2. The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 6 then enters the refrigerator 4 through the low-pressure pipe 9, is sucked into the compressor 3, and repeats the aforementioned loop.

A control device 12 is provided in each of the showcases 2 constituting the refrigerating device R, and the control device 12 is constituted by a microcomputer as an example of a computer including a processor. The control device 12 is connected to the main controller 11 via a communication line 14 so that it can perform operation control of the expansion valve 7 of the display case 2 and the air circulation fan, and can communicate with a main controller 11 described later. Each of the display cases 2 of the embodiment displays items sold while cooling refrigerated goods such as bento, non-staple food, beverages, and snacks. Each control device 12 receives instruction information (operation from the main controller 11 to each display case 2). Instruction data), and based on the received instruction information (set temperature) and its own internal temperature, the valve opening degree of the expansion valve 7 and the operation of the air-conditioning loop blower are controlled.

The refrigerator 4 is further provided with a control device 13 which is constituted by a microcomputer as an example of a computer including a processor. The control device 13 is also connected to the main controller 11 via the communication line 14 and receives instruction information (operation instruction data) from the main controller 11 to the control device 13, and based on the instruction information (low pressure pressure setting value) and the slave low pressure The low-pressure pressure of the refrigerant circuit from the piping 9 to the suction side of the compressor 3 controls the operating frequency (rotational speed) of the compressor 3. In this case, based on the low-pressure pressure set value (instruction information) and the low-pressure pressure (actual measured value) sent from the main controller 11, the control device 13 The operation frequency of 3 is increased to control the operation of compressor 3. When the low-pressure pressure is less than the low-pressure pressure set value, the operation of compressor 3 is controlled to decrease the operation frequency of compressor 3, thereby The low-pressure pressure is controlled to a low-pressure pressure set value, and when the expansion valves 7 of all the showcases 2 are fully closed, the compressor 3 is stopped.

(2) Main controller 11 The main controller 11 is a centralized control device called a “shop owner” provided in a management room of a store or the like, and is composed of a microcomputer as an example of a computer including a processor. The main controller 11 is connected to the control device 12 of each showcase 2 and the control device 13 of the freezer 4 through a communication line 14, and between the main controller 11 and each control device 12 and between the main device 11 via the communication line 14. Information (data) is transmitted and received between the controller 11 and the control device 13. These main controllers 11 and the respective control devices 12 and 13 construct a centralized management system of an existing store connected by a communication line 14.

In this case, the main controller 11 uses the ID previously assigned to each control device 12 and 13 to identify each control device 12 and 13. In addition, data related to operation information transmitted from the control devices 12 and 13 together with the ID is received, and these data are stored and managed. The operation information sent from each control device 12 includes the temperature inside the display case 2, information related to the defrost operation status of the evaporator 6, and errors (abnormalities) generated in the display case 2. The relevant alarm information includes the operation information of the compressor 3 and the condition of the low-pressure pressure, and the alarm information related to errors (abnormalities) generated in the refrigerator 4 in the operation information transmitted from the refrigerator 4.

In addition, the materials related to the instruction information are transmitted from the main controller 11 to the respective control devices 12 and 13 together with the aforementioned ID. The instruction information includes the above-mentioned set temperature when transmitting to the display case 2, the above-mentioned low-pressure pressure setting value when transmitting to the refrigerator 4, and the like. Each of the control devices 12 and 13 stores the received data to control the operation of each device. Thereby, the main controller 11 centrally manages the operation of each of the showcases 2 and the refrigerator 4 constituting the refrigeration device R.

(3) Display case 20 (display case to which the present invention is applied) Next, FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional side view of an embodiment of the non-connected display case 20 which is not connected to the refrigeration device R in FIG. 1. The display case 20 of the embodiment is a so-called built-in refrigerated display case (freezer) that is displayed and sold while cooling the cream, and is provided in an island-like manner in a passageway of a store or the like. The display case 20 includes a heat-insulating box 21 having an open upper surface, and a partition plate 22 disposed at a distance from the inside of the heat-insulating box 21, and a product pair (cream) is formed inside the partition plate 22. In the storage room 23 to be stored, a cold air duct 24 is formed between the partition plate 22 and the heat insulation box 21 continuously from both edges of the opening on the upper surface to the bottom.

An air outlet 26 is formed at one end of the upper side of the upper surface of the refrigerator 23 at the one end of the cold air duct 24, and an inlet 27 is formed at the other edge at the other end. In addition, an evaporator 28 and a blower (a blower for cooling air circulation) 29 are provided in the cold air duct 24 at the bottom. A defrost heater (defrosting device) 31 is mounted on the evaporator 28, and an evaporator temperature sensor 32 is also installed. The evaporator temperature sensor 32 detects the temperature TE of the evaporator 28. In addition, an in-cabin temperature sensor 33 that detects the temperature TP of the in-cabin 23 is provided in the in-cabin 23.

In addition, a machine room 34 is formed below the heat insulation box 21, and a compressor 36 (FIG. 1), a condenser 37, and a condenser blower 38 are provided in the machine room 34. In addition, the compressor 36, the condenser 37, the pressure reducing device 39 (FIG. 1) composed of a capillary tube and an expansion valve, and the evaporator 28 are sequentially connected in a loop to form a well-known refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant ejected from the compressor 36 is dissipated in the condenser 37, and after being condensed, it is throttled by the decompression device 39, flows into the evaporator 28, and evaporates.

The heat passing through the air at this time is used to cool the air passing through the loop of the blower 29, and the cooled cold air is blown out from the air outlet 26 of the cold air duct 24 to the interior 23, and is sucked in from the inlet 27, so that the interior 23 It is cooled to the freezing temperature, and an air curtain is formed in the opening in the storage 23. Next, the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 28 is sucked into the compressor 36, and the above-mentioned loop is repeated.

The refrigerator 20 is further provided with a control device 40 (a control device for a display case of the present invention), which is constituted by a microcomputer as an example of a computer including a processor. However, the control device 40 is not connected to the main controller 11 via the communication line 14.

FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the control device 40. The control device 40 includes a control section 43, a storage section 44, a signal input section 46, a display section 47, an input section 48, a device driving section 49, and a wireless communication section 51, wherein the control section 43 controls the compressor of the display case 20 36. Operation control of blower 29, condenser blower 38, etc., defrost control of evaporator 28 by defrosting heater (defrosting device) 31, and communication control with tablet terminal (terminal device) 41 described later The storage unit 44 stores various information (data); the signal input unit 46 is connected to the temperature sensor 33 and the evaporator temperature sensor 32 in the library, and the display unit 47 displays various data and the like. The input unit 48 performs setting switching and the like. The device driving unit 49 drives various devices such as a compressor 36, a blower 29, a condenser blower 38, and a defrost heater 31. The wireless communication unit 51 communicates with a flat panel described later via a wireless LAN. The terminal 41 performs wireless communication of information (data).

The control unit 43 of the control device 40 receives the instruction information (operation instruction data) sent from the tablet terminal 41 described below to the display case 20 via the wireless communication unit 51, and based on the received instruction information (set temperature) and the inside of the library. The output of the in-cabin temperature sensor 33 that is detected by the temperature TP of 23 is determined by the device driver 49 at the predetermined upper limit value (for example, -16 ° C) and the lower limit value (for example, -20) ℃) to control the operation of the compressor 46, the blower 29, and the condenser blower 38, and average the temperature TP in the storage 23 to a set value (for example, -18 ° C).

The control unit 43 includes, as its functions, an over-frosting judgment unit 52, a notification unit 53, a temperature rise suppression unit 54, and a defrost control unit 56. The details will be described later, but the over-frosting determination unit 52 detects the over-frosting to the evaporator 28 based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 32 and 33. In addition, the notification unit 53 transmits predetermined notification information to the tablet terminal 41 via the wireless communication unit 51. In addition, the temperature rise suppression unit 54 executes a temperature rise suppression mode that controls the operation of the blower 29 to suppress the temperature rise in the storage 23, and the instruction information from the tablet terminal 41 described later includes instruction information related to the mode reset In the case of, the temperature rise suppression mode ends. In addition, the defrosting control unit 56 controls the defrosting of the evaporator 28 by the defrosting heater 31, and when the instruction information from the tablet terminal 41 described later includes instruction information related to the defrost control, based on The above instruction information changes the defrost control of the evaporator 46.

(4) Tablet terminal 41 (terminal device) Next, reference numeral 41 shown in FIG. 1 is the aforementioned tablet terminal. The above-mentioned tablet terminal 41 is a portable terminal device (portable terminal device) and includes: a display portion 61 composed of a relatively large liquid crystal display of the type shown in FIG. 4; and an input portion 62 for inputting The section 62 is configured by a touch switch provided in the display section 61.

FIG. 5 shows a functional block diagram of the tablet terminal 41. The tablet terminal 41 is also composed of a microcomputer as an example of a computer including a processor. The tablet terminal 41 is composed of a control section 63, a storage section 64, the aforementioned display section 61 and input section 62, and a wireless communication section 66. Among them, the control section 63 controls various controls including communication, the storage unit 64 stores various information (data), and the wireless communication unit 66 communicates with the control device of the main controller 11 and the display cabinet 20 through wireless communication via a wireless local area network. Send and receive data between 40.

Here, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 71 is a POS terminal installed in a store and performing inventory management and sales management of the store, and reference numeral 72 is a contract for performing equipment such as showcases 2, 20, and a refrigerator 4 installed in the store. Maintenance management of an external maintenance center. In addition, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 67 denotes a wireless LAN router that constructs a wireless LAN in a store, and the wireless LAN router 67 is connected to an Internet line via a broadband modem 68.

In addition, in the embodiment, the tablet terminal 41 and the main controller 11, the control device 40 of the tablet terminal 41 and the display case 20, and the tablet terminal 41 and the POS terminal 71 transmit and receive information (data) via the wireless LAN router 67 described above. (Also, you can directly send and receive each other without using the above wireless LAN router). In addition, the tablet terminal 41 transmits and receives information (documents) to and from an external maintenance center 72 via the wireless LAN router 67 and the Internet line.

In this case, the control unit 63 of the tablet terminal 41 also uses the IDs of the control device 40 and the main controller 11 previously assigned to the display case 20 to identify the control device 40 and the main controller 11. In addition, the tablet terminal 41 receives, from the main controller 11 through the wireless communication unit 66, data related to the operation information transmitted together with the ID, and stores the data in the storage unit 64 for management. The operation information sent from the main controller 11 includes operation information of each of the display cases 2 and the refrigerator 4 managed by the main controller 11 (temperature and humidity information inside and outside the store including alarm information: main Controller information).

In addition, the tablet terminal 41 receives data related to the operation information transmitted with the ID from the control device 40 of the display case 20 through the wireless communication unit 66, and stores the data in the storage unit 64 for management. The operation information sent from the control device 40 includes temperature information such as the temperature in the cabinet of the showcase 20 (the temperature in the cabinet) and the temperature of the evaporator 28, information about the operating conditions of the compressor 39, and the like. Alarm information and the like related to errors (abnormalities) generated in the showcase 20.

On the other hand, the instruction information (operation instruction data) is transmitted from the tablet terminal 41 to the main controller 11 and the display case 20 through the wireless communication unit 66. Since the information collected in the tablet terminal 41 can be appropriately displayed on the display portion 61, the tablet terminal 41 can be configured to display various display units that are centrally managed by the main controller 11 in addition to the display cabinet 20 The operating conditions of the cabinet 2 and the refrigerator 4 are centrally managed.

(5) Judgment of over-frosting and control during over-frosting by the control device 40 of the display case 20 Next, using FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, over-condensation of the evaporator 28 performed by the control device 40 of the display case 20 The frost judgment and the control operation at the time of excessive frosting will be described. In addition, the control unit 43 of the control device 40 has two operation modes, a normal mode and a temperature rise suppression mode. The defrosting control unit 56 performs regular defrosting in the normal mode. The evaporator 28 is defrosted at twelve hour intervals.

(5-1) Normal mode, that is, the defrost control unit 56 stops the compressor 39 and the condenser blower 38 at, for example, 8 am and 8 pm during regular defrost in the normal mode, and heats the defrost heater 31. The defrost of the evaporator 28 is started. Next, when the defrosting by the above-mentioned defrosting heater 31 is performed, and the temperature TE of the evaporator 28 detected by the evaporator temperature sensor 32 rises to a predetermined defrosting end temperature TE1, the defrosting heating is stopped. The heater 31 generates heat to end the defrosting operation, starts the compressor 39 and the condenser blower 38, and restarts the cooling operation of the interior 23 again. The control unit 43 also operates the blower 29 during the defrosting. However, in the above-mentioned normal mode, the rotation speed of the blower 29 is set to 1200 rpm (normal speed) in the embodiment to operate.

(5-2) Temperature Rise Suppression Mode In the temperature rise suppression mode, the temperature rise suppression unit 54 increases the rotation speed of the blower 29 to 1800 rpm (high-speed rotation speed) in the embodiment. By increasing the rotation speed of the blower 29, it is possible to prevent a decrease or increase in the amount of air blown out to the interior 23, and also to prevent the weakening or strengthening of the air curtain. Therefore, as described later, during excessive frost formation, An increase in the temperature TP in the chamber 23 is also suppressed.

(5-3) Over-frost judgment and operation mode switching First, the control unit 43 clears (sets to "0") the suppression control flag in step S1 in FIG. 6, and determines whether to set the current suppression in step S2. The control flag ("1") is judged. Since the suppression control flag is cleared at this time, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3 described above, the over-frosting determination unit 52 determines whether or not frosting has occurred on the evaporator 28.

The conditions for judging whether or not frost has occurred on the evaporator 28 are as follows in the embodiment. (I) The shortest defrost interval (for example, eight hours) has elapsed since the last defrost. (Ii) After the previous defrosting, the temperature TP in the room 23 has a history of being below the aforementioned lower limit (-20 ° C). (Iii) The temperature TP in the continuous chamber 23 is a predetermined time in a state where the temperature TP is equal to or higher than the aforementioned upper limit value (-16 ° C). (Iv) The difference (TE-TP) between the temperature TP of the internal temperature 23 detected by the internal temperature sensor 33 and the temperature TE of the evaporator 28 detected by the evaporator temperature sensor 32 is a predetermined value ( For example, 20 degrees, etc.).

When all of the conditions (i) to (iv) described above are satisfied, the over-frosting determination unit 52 determines that the over-frosting determination condition is satisfied, and over-frosting is occurring on the evaporator 28. The above condition (i) may not be included in the over-frost judgment condition, but may be used as a prerequisite for the over-frost judgment. However, the existence of the above condition (i) results in evaporation at the shortest defrosting interval. Judging by the frosting of the device 28. The shortest defrosting interval is the shortest interval that can prevent the temperature TP in the storehouse 23 from rising to a level that would deteriorate the stored products by defrosting the evaporator 28.

The above condition (ii) is a condition for excluding a decrease after the previous defrosting. The above condition (iii) is a condition for judging a situation in which the temperature TP in the room 23 continues to rise due to poor cooling due to excessive frosting of the evaporator 28, and the condition (iv) is a condition for the failure of the evaporator 28 A condition for judging that the temperature TP of the interior 23 generated by the frost formation and the temperature TE of the evaporator 28 decrease. In addition, all of the values in these conditions are set in advance as a criterion for determining whether the frosting amount of the evaporator 28 has increased to a predetermined upper limit value that can be removed by one defrost, and obtained in advance through tests.

In step S3, if any one of the above conditions (i) to (iv) is not satisfied, the over-frost judgment condition is not satisfied (no problem), and the control unit 43 shifts to other control. On the other hand, in step S3, when all the conditions (i) to (iv) described above are satisfied and it is determined that the over-frosting condition is satisfied, the over-frosting determination unit 54 determines that the evaporator 28 has been generated. Frost (over-frost detection), the process proceeds to step S4, and the occurrence of over-frost is written into the over-frost omen stage of the storage unit 44. In addition, the notification unit 53 notifies the tablet terminal 41 of the occurrence of excessive frosting of the evaporator 28 in the display case 20 through the wireless communication unit 51.

When the control section 63 of the tablet terminal 41 receives the above notification from the control device 40 of the showcase 20 via the wireless communication section 66, the display section 61 displays an over-frost notification as shown by the symbol 73 in FIG. 4 ( Freezer has frosted). In addition, the tablet terminal 41 also sends a frosting notification of the evaporator 28 of the showcase 20 to the maintenance center 72 via the wireless LAN router 67 and the Internet line (the maintenance center 72 may also be notified directly from the control device 40 of the showcase 20) . This can urge the salesperson and service staff of the store to take measures.

Next, the control unit 43 proceeds to step S5 and sets a suppression control flag ("1"). Thereby, the operation mode is switched to the aforementioned temperature rise suppression mode, and the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6 described above, as described above, the temperature increase suppression unit 54 increases the rotation speed of the blower 29 to 1800 rpm (high-speed rotation speed). Thereby, the rise of the temperature TP in the chamber 23 is suppressed.

In addition, the defrosting control unit 56 performs forced defrosting even if it is not in the aforementioned periodic defrosting cycle, and resets the aforementioned periodic defrosting cycle (twelve-hour timing). The defrosting heater 31 is heated to forcibly perform the defrosting of the evaporator 28. In the above-mentioned forced defrosting, the compressor 39 and the condenser blower 38 are stopped similarly to the periodic defrosting (the blower 29 is continuously operated at 1800 rpm). When the defrosting is performed by the defrosting heater 31 and the temperature TE of the evaporator 28 is raised to the aforementioned defrosting end temperature TE1, the defrosting control unit 56 stops the heat generation of the defrosting heater 31, The defrosting is completed, and the compressor 39 and the condenser blower 38 are started to restart the cooling operation in the storage 23. The temperature rise suppression unit 54 operates in the above-mentioned temperature rise suppression mode by setting the rotation speed of the blower 29 to 1800 rpm (high-speed rotation speed).

Since the suppression control flag is set in step S2, the process proceeds from step S2 to step S7. In step S7, it is determined whether the defrosting control unit 56 has passed the aforementioned shortest defrosting interval (eight hours) from the previous defrosting. If not, the control unit 43 shifts to other control.

When the shortest defrosting interval has elapsed from the last defrosting in step S7, the process proceeds to step S8, and the defrosting control unit 56 performs forced defrosting of the evaporator 28 (the period of the periodic defrosting is also reset). This forced defrosting is the same as the aforementioned forced defrosting. Next, in step S9, the defrosting control unit 56 determines whether the above-mentioned forced defrosting has been performed a predetermined number of times (three times in the embodiment) in the embodiment. Since it is the second time at this moment, Transfer to other controls.

Next, steps S2, S7, and S8 are repeated. In the embodiment, the forced defrosting is performed three times in the temperature rise suppression mode. Next, if forced defrosting has been performed three times, the process proceeds to step S10. The control unit 43 clears the suppression control flag (set to "0"), returns the operation mode to the normal mode, and sets the rotation speed of the blower 29. Change to the normal speed (1200rpm). In addition, the notification unit 53 sends information regarding the release notification to the tablet terminal 41. The tablet terminal 41 (and the maintenance center 72) receives the above information and eliminates the display 73 of the frost notification.

FIG. 7 shows changes in the temperature TE of the interior 23 and switching of the rotation speed of the blower 29 caused by the periodic defrosting and forced defrosting (three times) described above. Since the period of the periodic defrosting is reset at each forced defrosting, the periodic defrosting is implemented after the third mandatory defrosting has begun at the time point of twelve hours. In addition, in the embodiment, it is judged that the occurrence of excessive frosting is shifted to the temperature rise suppression mode, and the forced defrosting is performed three times (multiple times) before returning to the normal mode, but the forced defrosting may be performed only once.

(6) Countermeasure for salesperson and service staff When excessive frosting of the evaporator 28 has occurred in the display case 20 as described above, the temperature rise suppression mode for suppressing the temperature rise in the warehouse 23 is implemented. The evaporator 28 is forced to defrost, but as described above, the tablet terminal 41 and the maintenance center 72 are notified of the occurrence of the excessive frost, so the salesperson of the store can see the display 73 of the excessive frost notification on the tablet terminal 41 and take For example, countermeasures such as changing the wind direction of the air conditioner in the store. As a result, if no frost formation has occurred, the control device 40 can continue to operate in the normal mode. In addition, since the over-frost notification is also sent to the maintenance center 72, and the history of frost formation on the evaporator 28 is written in the over-frost omen file of the storage unit 44, the service personnel of the maintenance center also Measures can be taken, for example, during regular maintenance.

Here, when the control unit 63 of the tablet terminal 41 is notified of the occurrence of frost formation from the control device 40 of the display case 20, it displays the temperature rise as shown in FIG. 4 together with the display 73 of the frost formation notification. Inhibit mode reset by restart button 74. For example, when the store clerk has taken countermeasures such as changing the wind direction of the air conditioner, after touching the restart button 74 of the tablet terminal 41, the control unit 63 sends the wireless communication unit 66 to the control device 40 of the display cabinet 20 Information on resetting the temperature rise suppression mode.

When the control unit 43 of the control device 40 receives the reset information from the tablet terminal 41 through the wireless communication unit 51, it will forcibly reset the aforementioned suppression control flag (set to "0") and enable the blower 29 The speed is restored to the normal speed (1200 rpm), the temperature rise suppression mode is ended, and the operation mode is returned to the normal mode. In addition, even if the forced defrosting is the first time at this time point, the forced defrosting after the second time is not performed.

In addition, the control unit 63 of the tablet terminal 41 displays a cycle change button 76 for changing the regular defrosting cycle on the display unit 61 as shown in FIG. 4. In addition, after the salesperson touches the above-mentioned cycle change button 76, a transition to a predetermined cycle change screen is made, so that the periodic defrosting cycle of the evaporator 28 of the display cabinet 20 can be changed. When the periodical defrost cycle changing operation is completed, the control unit 63 sends information about changing the period of the periodic defrost to the control device 40 of the display cabinet 20 through the wireless communication unit 66. When the control unit 43 of the control device 40 receives the cycle change information from the tablet terminal 41 through the wireless communication unit 51, the defrost control unit 56 changes the period of the regular defrost to a period sent from the tablet terminal 41.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 63 of the tablet terminal 41 displays a defrost end temperature change button 77 that changes the defrost end temperature TE1 as shown in FIG. 4. Next, after the salesperson touches the defrost end temperature change button 77 described above, the screen will jump to a predetermined defrost end temperature change screen, so that the defrost end temperature TE1 of the evaporator 28 of the display cabinet 20 can be changed. When the operation of changing the defrosting end temperature is completed, the control unit 63 sends information about changing the defrosting end temperature TE1 to the control device 40 of the display case 20 through the wireless communication unit 66. When the control unit 43 of the control device 40 receives the defrost end temperature change information from the tablet terminal 41 through the wireless communication unit 51, the defrost control unit 56 changes the defrost end temperature TE1 of the periodic defrost and the forced defrost to The temperature transmitted from the tablet terminal 41.

In addition, in the embodiment, the resetting of these temperature rise suppression modes, the change of the periodic defrosting cycle, and the change of the defrosting end temperature TE1 can also be operated by the maintenance center 72. The control device 40 of the display cabinet 20 Each information sent by the maintenance center 72 resets the temperature rise suppression mode in the same manner as described above, and changes the periodic defrosting cycle and the defrosting end temperature.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since the control device 40 of the showcase 20 includes: an over-frosting judging section 52 that judges whether or not frosting has occurred on the evaporator 28; and a notification section 53. In the case where the over-frosting judgment section 52 determines that over-frosting is occurring on the evaporator 28, the notification section 53 notifies the occurrence of over-frosting; and the temperature rise suppressing section 54 in the over-frosting determination section 52 When it is determined that frost is being generated on the evaporator 28, the temperature rise suppression unit 54 executes a temperature rise suppression mode that suppresses the temperature rise in the storage 23. Therefore, even when evaporation occurs due to some reasons, When excessive frosting has occurred on the device 28, the temperature rise suppression unit 54 can also execute a temperature rise mode that suppresses the temperature rise in the cabinet 23 to suppress the temperature rise in the cabinet 23.

Accordingly, when the main cause of excessive frosting is temporary, it is possible to prevent or suppress the deterioration of the product during the period before natural recovery. For other reasons, the notification unit 53 notifies the tablet terminal 41 and the maintenance center 72 provided in the store of the occurrence of the excessive frosting of the evaporator 28, so it is possible to urge salespersons and service personnel to take Responses.

In this case, when the main cause of excessive frosting can be dealt with by the store's salesperson (air condition of the air conditioner in the store, etc.), it can be prevented or suppressed during the period before the main cause of excessive frosting is eliminated by the store. Deterioration of the product, and unnecessary calls to the maintenance center 71 can be eliminated. In addition, even in cases where service personnel are required to take countermeasures, unless it is an emergency response, it is only necessary to take countermeasures during regular maintenance, which can prevent the deterioration of the goods during the above period, and Reduce the burden on service staff.

In addition, the over-frost determination unit 52 satisfies the process including that the temperature TP in the storage compartment 23 is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value and the difference between the temperature TP in the storage compartment 23 and the temperature TE of the evaporator 28 is equal to or more than a predetermined value. The frost formation determination condition determines that the frost formation is occurring on the evaporator 28, and therefore, the over frost formation of the evaporator 28 can be accurately detected.

In particular, as in the embodiment, by setting the over-frost determination condition as a reference that can determine whether the amount of frost on the evaporator 28 has increased to a predetermined upper limit value that can be removed by one defrost, the evaporator can be used in the evaporator. When the frosting of 28 is an amount that can be removed by one defrost, it is determined that frosting is occurring, so that the frosting amount of the evaporator 28 can be abnormally increased during the defrost, which causes frost to increase abnormally. Prevent the bad situation before it happens.

In addition, as in the embodiment, if the temperature rise suppressing unit 54 suppresses the temperature rise in the room 23 by increasing the rotation speed of the blower 29, it supplements the cold air loop which is deteriorated by excessive frosting of the evaporator 28, This can effectively prevent or suppress the deterioration of goods.

In addition, in the embodiment, the temperature rise suppression section 54 ends the temperature rise suppression mode based on the instructions from the tablet terminal 41 and the maintenance center 72. Therefore, the salesperson and the service can be based on the fact that the cause of excessive frost is eliminated. Personnel quickly returned to normal operation.

In addition, the control unit 43 includes a defrost control unit 56 that performs periodic defrosting to defrost the evaporator 28 at a predetermined cycle, and the over-frost judgment unit 52 determines that the evaporator 28 is In the case where frost has occurred, the defrost control unit 56 performs a forced defrost forcibly defrosting the evaporator 28 a plurality of times (three times in the embodiment, or one time here). Therefore, in the evaporator, In the case where frost has occurred on 28, it is not necessary to wait for regular defrosting, but to defrosting the evaporator 28 forcibly, so that the excessive frost can be quickly eliminated. In particular, if the forced defrost is performed by enabling the over-frost determination condition that determines the amount of frost that can be removed by one defrost as described above, the frost formation of the evaporator 28 can be reliably removed.

At this time, since the defrost control unit 56 resets the periodic defrost cycle when the forced defrost of the evaporator 28 is implemented, it is also possible to eliminate the periodic defrost immediately after the forced defrost, and The disadvantage that the temperature TP in the chamber 23 is increased. In addition, the over-frosting determination unit 52 determines whether or not frosting has occurred on the evaporator 28 with the shortest defrosting interval separating the evaporator 28. Therefore, it is possible to prevent frequent defrosting and prevent An unfavorable situation is that the temperature TP in the room 23 rises. This is also the case when the forced defrosting is performed a plurality of times as in the embodiment, and the forced defrosting is also performed at the shortest defrosting interval, so that the temperature in the room 23 can also be prevented from rising.

In addition, the defrosting control unit 56 of the control device 40 changes the periodic defrosting cycle and the defrosting end temperature TE1 of the evaporator 28 based on instructions from the tablet terminal 41 and the maintenance center 72 provided in the store. From the tablet terminal 41 and the maintenance center 72, it is convenient to change the periodic defrosting cycle and the defrosting end temperature TE1 of the evaporator 28 of the display cabinet 20.

In addition, in the present invention, it is intended to determine the occurrence of frost formation on the evaporator 28 based on the aforementioned over-frost determination condition, and to notify the outside while suppressing the temperature rise in the storage 23, but If the temperature TP in the cabinet 23 rises to a predetermined high-temperature alarm temperature (a temperature higher than the upper limit value of the temperature TP in the cabinet 23) even if the forced defrosting is performed as described above, The control device 40 also sends a high temperature alarm to the tablet terminal 41 and the maintenance center 72.

In addition, in the embodiment, the present invention is described by taking the freezer constituting the shop maintenance system as an example, but the type of the freezer and the temperature value shown in the embodiment are not limited to this, and can be used without departing from the present invention. It is self-evident that various changes can be made within the scope of the purpose.

1‧‧‧shop maintenance system
20‧‧‧display cabinet
23‧‧‧ Cunei
28‧‧‧Evaporator
29‧‧‧ blower
31‧‧‧ Defrost heater
32‧‧‧Evaporator temperature sensor
33‧‧‧Temperature sensor
36‧‧‧compressor
40‧‧‧control device
41‧‧‧ Tablet terminal (terminal device)
43‧‧‧Control Department
44‧‧‧Storage Department
46‧‧‧Signal input section
47‧‧‧Display
48‧‧‧Input Department
49‧‧‧device driver
51‧‧‧Wireless Communication Department
52‧‧‧Frosting judgment section
53‧‧‧Notification Department
54‧‧‧Temperature rise suppression section
56‧‧‧ Defrost Control Department
67‧‧‧Wireless LAN Router
72‧‧‧Maintenance Center

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining a piping structure of a communication circuit of a store maintenance system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, a piping structure of a refrigeration device to which the store maintenance system is applied, and the like. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a display case to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a control device of the showcase of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a front view of the tablet terminal (terminal device) of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the tablet terminal of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a temperature change in a cabinet of the showcase of FIG. 2.

32‧‧‧Evaporator temperature sensor

33‧‧‧Temperature sensor

40‧‧‧control device

43‧‧‧Control Department

44‧‧‧Storage Department

46‧‧‧Signal input section

47‧‧‧Display

48‧‧‧Input Department

49‧‧‧device driver

51‧‧‧Wireless Communication Department

52‧‧‧Frosting judgment section

53‧‧‧Notification Department

54‧‧‧Temperature rise suppression section

56‧‧‧ Defrost Control Department

Claims (10)

A control device for a display case. The display case uses a blower to circulate cold air that has undergone heat exchange with an evaporator in a warehouse, and displays the product while cooling it. The control device of the display case is characterized by comprising: : An over-frosting judging unit that judges whether over-frosting is being generated on the evaporator; a notification unit that determines that the over-frosting judging unit is generating on the evaporator In the case of excessive frosting, the notification unit notifies the occurrence of excessive frosting; and the temperature rise suppressing unit, in the event that the excessive frosting judgment unit determines that excessive frosting is occurring on the evaporator, the The temperature rise suppression unit executes a temperature rise suppression mode that suppresses a temperature rise in the library. The control device for a display case according to claim 1, wherein the over-frosting determination unit is based on satisfying that the temperature in the storage compartment is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, and the temperature in the storage compartment is equal to the temperature in the storage compartment. The difference between the temperatures of the evaporators is a predetermined over-frosting determination condition that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and it is determined that over-frosting is occurring on the evaporator. The control device for a showcase according to claim 2, wherein the over-frost judgment condition is capable of determining whether the frost amount of the evaporator has increased to a predetermined upper limit that can be removed by one defrost. The basis of the value. The control device for a showcase according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature rise suppressing unit suppresses a temperature rise in the library by increasing a rotation speed of the blower. The control device for a showcase according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the notification unit notifies a terminal device installed in a store and / or an external maintenance center of occurrence of frost formation. The control device for a showcase according to claim 5, wherein the temperature rise suppression unit ends the temperature rise suppression mode based on an instruction from the terminal device and / or the maintenance center. The control device for a showcase according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a defrost control unit that performs a regular defrost of the evaporator at a predetermined cycle. Frost, in a case where the over-frosting judging unit determines that over-frosting is occurring on the evaporator, the defrost control unit implements one or more times of forcibly forcibly defrosting the evaporator Defrost. The control device for a showcase according to claim 7, wherein the defrosting control unit resets the period of the periodic defrosting when the defrosting of the evaporator is performed. The control device for a display case according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the over-frosting judging unit determines whether or not an over-frost has occurred on the evaporator with a shortest defrosting interval separating the evaporator. Frost is judged, and in the case where the forced defrosting is carried out a plurality of times, the forced defrosting of the evaporator is performed in a manner of separating the shortest defrosting interval. The control device for a showcase according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the defrosting control unit is configured to instruct the defrost control unit based on an instruction from a terminal device installed in a store and / or an external maintenance center. The periodic defrosting cycle is changed and / or the defrost end temperature of the evaporator is changed.