WO1998034075A1

WO1998034075A1 - Cold storage apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1998034075A1
Application number: PCT/JP1998/000377
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sachio Miyazawa; Yuichi Minamiyama; Akihiro Koyama
Original assignee: Gac Corporation
Priority date: 1997-01-31
Filing date: 1998-01-28
Publication date: 1998-08-06
Also published as: JP3075539B2; TW499559B

Abstract

A circulation unit is provided to enable circulating of air along side walls of a storage unit, which is capable of storing an object being refrigerated, such as polished rice, in a substantially closed condition, and the air is cooled by a Peltier cooling device for circulation. Since the side walls of the storage unit are generally cooled with the cooled air as a medium, a temperature of the storage unit can be decreased in a more uniform condition. Accordingly, a cold storage apparatus can be provided which can reduce a temperature distribution range in the storage unit and is suitable for a cold insulation of polished rice chest, which has a small temperature distribution range in the order of 5 °C.

Description

Description Refrigerator Technical field

The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus that can store refrigerated items such as grains at a low temperature while maintaining appropriate humidity, and particularly relates to a refrigeration apparatus suitable for a rice bin and the like that can store white rice at a low temperature. Background art

In recent years, refrigerators that store vegetables and frozen foods and refrigerators that keep rice and other cereals for a long period of time, such as refrigerators and frozen foods, have become widespread at farmers and homes so that fresh food can be obtained even in summer. . In the case of rice bins that store polished rice among cereals, an insulated rice bin device that can keep the temperature inside the rice bin low to keep the rice fresh is under study.

A rice bin device as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, which cools the storage section for storing white rice through the side wall, as a cool-keeping rice bin device is under study. Figure 7 shows a longitudinal section of such a rice bin device, and Figure 8 shows a cross section. In the rice bin device 90 shown in these figures, a storage unit 20 for white rice is disposed on the front side 2 a of the upper part of the housing 2, and a weighing device 31 for dispensing a desired amount of rice is disposed below the storage unit 20. I have. Below the weighing device 31, a container 32 for taking out the dispensed rice is installed so that it can be taken in and out from the front side 2a. In addition, a cooling unit 10 is provided on the back surface side 2 b of the housing 2 along with the storage unit 20, and a cooling unit 9 is provided.

The side wall 40 of the storage section 20 is made of metal with excellent heat conductivity, such as aluminum or copper. It is formed from a plate, the outside of which is surrounded by insulation 3. The back side 2 b of the side wall 40 facing the cooling unit 10 has a double structure, and is connected to the heat absorbing portion of the cooling unit 10. Therefore, the side wall 40 of the storage unit 20 is directly cooled by the cooling unit 10 and functions as a cooling plate for cooling the storage unit 20. That is, since metal having excellent heat conduction is used for the side wall 40, the side wall 40 is cooled by the cooling unit 10, so that the storage section 20 can be cooled as a whole.

As described above, the rice bin device 90 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 cools the side wall 40 made of the metal plate of the storage portion 20 to lower the temperature in the refrigerator. As a result, in the conventional rice and rice equipment where the cool air from the cooling unit circulates directly in the storage section, the temperature of only the white rice directly hit by the cool air drops rapidly, causing it to dry and cause low temperature failure. In contrast to this, in the rice bin device 90, since the rice is cooled through the large-sized side wall 40, the white rice stored in the storage portion is relatively uniformly cooled. In addition, the storage section 20 is almost completely sealed with metal plate side walls 40 so that the cold air does not directly hit the white rice. Can be stored with good quality.

It is known that, in the rice bin device 90, when the temperature inside the storage section 20 is maintained so that the ambient temperature of the white rice is about 20 ° C. or less, the generation of pests and mold can be prevented. On the other hand, it is desirable to keep the temperature at about 15 ° C or higher to prevent low temperature damage such as cracking of rice and drying and discoloration of rice. For this reason, in order to store rice for a long period of time, it is desirable to maintain the internal temperature of the storage section 20 at 15 ° C to 20 ° C, and for that purpose, the internal temperature of the storage section 20 varies. It is important that the (temperature distribution) be about 5 ° C, preferably less than 5 ° C.

Figure 9 shows the condition of the temperature inside the refrigerator in the rice bin device 90 described above. This is shown in (A). In FIG. 9 (A), the solid line A indicates the temperature of the central part A of the storage part 20. 9 (B) and 9 (C), the dashed line B indicates the temperature of the lower part B of the back side 2b of the storage section 20, and the dashed line C indicates the temperature of FIG. 9 (B) and FIG. 9 (C). As shown in (B) and FIG. 9 (C), the temperature of the upper part C of the front side 2a of the storage part 20 is shown. As can be seen from Fig. 9 (A), when cooling is started, the lower part B of the rear side 2b is cooled well because it is close to the cooling unit 10, and the temperature drops rapidly. Saturated at about 4 ° C. On the other hand, the upper part C of the front side 2a is far from the cooling unit 10, and its temperature gradually decreases and saturates at about 20 ° C. Also, the temperature of the central portion A of the storage portion 20 gradually decreases almost in the same manner as the upper portion C of the front side 2a and is saturated at about 19 ° C. From this result, in this rice bin device 90, the internal temperature of the storage section 20 has a distribution (variation) of about 6 ° C, and a temperature distribution close to 5 ° C is almost obtained. It turns out that it is difficult to reliably keep the temperature in the refrigerator at 15 to 20 ° C. Therefore, there is a possibility that the temperature of the storage unit 20 may be partially too high or too low depending on the use state or environment. For this reason, the rice bottle apparatus shown in Figs. 7 and 8 can store white rice at a higher quality than conventional cold-reserved rice bottles, but still has the potential to reduce the quality of white rice and impair the taste. However, it is difficult to ensure long-term preservation of rice.

Even in such a rice bin device 90, the temperature difference between the side walls 40 can be reduced by making the side walls 40 of the storage section 20 very thick and furthermore, by using a metal plate having excellent heat conductivity. As a result, the distribution of the internal temperature of the storage section 20 may be reduced. However, since a member for the side wall having good heat conductivity such as a thick metal plate is required, the rice bin device 90 becomes heavy, and the manufacturing cost also increases. Therefore, it is suitable as a refrigerator for rice bins that can be easily used by farmers and households and can be supplied at low cost. Ina ₀

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to supply a small-sized refrigeration apparatus with a simple configuration that can be purchased and used more easily than a refrigeration apparatus described above by a farmer or a household, and can be supplied at a low cost. Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration apparatus that can reliably maintain the temperature in the storage unit within an appropriate temperature range without deteriorating the quality of refrigerated items such as white rice. Disclosure of the invention

For this reason, in the refrigeration apparatus of the present invention, a circulating section through which air can circulate is provided between the storage section and a heat insulating material provided so as to cover the periphery of the storage section for keeping cool, and the air in the circulating section is provided. By cooling air, the storage unit is indirectly cooled using air as a cooling medium. That is, the refrigeration apparatus of the present invention comprises a storage section capable of storing refrigerated items such as white rice or other grains in a substantially sealed state, and a heat insulating section provided so as to surround the side wall of the storage section. It is characterized by having a circulating portion capable of circulating air between the heat insulating portion and the storage portion, and a cooling unit for cooling air in the circulating portion.

In the refrigerating device of the present invention, by circulating the air (cool air) cooled by the cooling unit between the heat insulating unit and the storage unit, the cool air becomes a medium and the entire side wall of the storage unit is cooled from the surroundings. For this reason, cold air does not directly hit the refrigerated items such as white rice stored in the storage unit, but is cooled indirectly through the side walls. By circulating cool air between the storage section and the heat insulating section, not only the side wall facing the cooling unit but also the entire side wall in the other direction is simultaneously cooled. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the temperature difference of the entire side wall forming the storage portion, and to cool the entire storage portion more uniformly, and to reduce the temperature distribution in the storage portion. Therefore, temperature fluctuations in the storage section when chilled white rice etc. are stored in the storage section It is quite possible to keep it below 5 ° C, which is desirable for keeping and refrigerated.

Furthermore, since the air is circulated instead of circulating the conventional cooling-only refrigerants such as halogenated hydrocarbons to cool the storage unit, the configuration of the circulating unit is eliminated without laying piping. Can be simplified. For example, it is only necessary to provide a space for the circulation section between the side wall of the storage section and the heat insulating section, and a system capable of reliably cooling the entire side wall can be configured at low cost. In addition, unlike the refrigeration system in which the cooling unit is directly in contact with the side wall of the storage unit to cool the storage unit, the storage unit can be uniformly cooled by the thin side wall because the cooling air is used as a medium. In this respect, it is also possible to provide a low-cost refrigeration apparatus having a small distribution of the internal temperature of the storage section, and to realize a refrigeration apparatus suitable for a rice bin apparatus which can be easily used in homes and farms. Therefore, by commercializing the refrigeration apparatus of the present invention as an insulated rice bottle, the white rice can be kept fresh for a long period of time without causing pests and mold, and causing low-temperature damage such as cracking or discoloration of rice. It is easy to obtain white rice that can be kept and taste good. In addition, it is possible to provide an inexpensive rice bin device that can be easily installed in ordinary households and is easy to handle.

As the cooling unit that cools the air in the circulation section, it is possible to adopt a cooling unit that expands and compresses the refrigerant.However, since the side wall of the storage section is cooled using air as a medium, The air in the circulating section can be cooled directly by the Peltier cooling unit using the Peltier effect. By adopting the Peltier cooling unit in the refrigerator of the present invention, it is possible to realize a compact refrigerator having a simple configuration and capable of cooling the object to be cooled in a wide area without using a special refrigerant. . Therefore, it is possible to provide a refrigeration apparatus that can be used at home without worrying about environmental pollution due to the release of the refrigerant.

As the circulating part, a metal with high thermal conductivity that allows air to circulate in the storage part Although it can be formed by winding a tube, etc., a space for the circulation part is provided between the four side walls of the storage part and the heat insulation part, and the space defined by the storage part and the heat insulation material is used. By forming the circulation part, the configuration of the refrigerator can be simplified.

In addition, it is possible to construct a circulating section that circulates cool air vertically along the side wall, but it is necessary to provide a path (air flow path) in which the cool air flows in different directions. On the other hand, by providing a fan for forcibly circulating the air in the circulating section in the horizontal direction along the outer periphery of the side wall, the cool air can be circulated in a certain direction, so that the configuration of the circulating section can be simplified. In addition, by forcibly circulating the air in the circulating section with a fan, the efficiency of air circulation is improved, so that the storage section can be cooled quickly and uniformly. Further, by forcibly circulating the air, the temperature of the air itself in the circulating section is also made uniform, so that only the air near the cooling unit is not cooled. In addition, since the heat transfer coefficient between the heat transfer surface of the cooling unit and the air flow increases, the cooling efficiency of the cooling unit can be improved, and power can be saved.

In addition, by supporting the side wall of the storage section from the heat insulating section through a spacer, a space of an appropriate width for the circulation section can be secured, and the storage section and the heat insulating section are stored in the housing to compact the refrigerator. Can be put together.

In addition, by providing a space for the circulation section surrounding the four side walls, a lid that can be opened and closed can be installed above the storage section. A storage unit suitable for storing grain such as rice and rice can be configured. In addition, by adopting a lid that can maintain a high level of sealing inside the storage section, it is possible to keep the internal moisture (water content) almost constant. For this reason, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering the interior of the storage unit from the outside, thereby preventing condensation from being generated near the side wall. Refrigeration equipment that can store white rice, etc. with good quality for a long period of time. The Peltier cooling unit, which cools the air in the circulation section, is arranged almost horizontally with respect to the storage section, so that the cooling section of the Peltier cooling unit has a space for the circulation section around the side wall. And the air in the circulation section can be cooled directly. Therefore, since the cooling units are efficiently arranged, the configuration of the refrigerator can be simplified, and a small-sized refrigerator that can be supplied at low cost can be realized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a rice bin device to which the refrigerator device of the present invention is applied as a rice bin.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the rice bin device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the rice bin device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing temperature characteristics of a storage section of the rice bin device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the rice bin device according to the present invention, which is different from the above.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the rice bin device shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a rice bin device shown as a background art, which can store white rice at a low temperature.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the rice bin device shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing temperature characteristics of a storage section of the rice bin device shown in FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an example in which the refrigeration apparatus of the present invention is implemented as a rice bin apparatus will be described with the above-described drawings, and the present invention will be described in further detail based on the drawings. Figure Fig. 1 shows the appearance of the rice bin device of this example using a perspective view. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the schematic configuration of the rice bin device of this example using a vertical section and a horizontal section. As shown in these figures, the rice bin device 1 of the present example is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped housing 2 provided with a lid 26 that can be opened and closed to put white rice in the upper part. Inside the housing 2, a storage section 20 for storing white rice is disposed on the upper front side 2a, and the storage section 20 is tapered downward so that the white rice can be easily dispensed. ing. A weighing device 31 for dispensing a desired amount of rice from the storage portion 20 is provided below the storage portion 20, and a container 3 2 for removing the dispensed rice is provided below the weighing device 31. Is provided so that it can be attached and detached from the front side 2a. On the back side 2 b of the housing 2, a cooling unit 1 ◦ is housed substantially horizontally alongside the housing section 20, thereby forming a cooling section 9. A power supply unit 8 for supplying power to the cooling unit 10 and the like is disposed on the bottom surface 2 b of the bottom of the housing 2.

The storage part 20 of the rice bin device 1 of this example has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped four-sided side wall 2.

1, 2, 2, 2 3 and 24 are formed by relatively thin iron plates having excellent heat conduction, and the outside thereof is surrounded by a heat insulating material 3. A space through which air can circulate is provided between each side wall 21, 22, 23, and 24 and the heat insulating material 3 to form a circulation portion 30. In this example, if a plurality of spacers 25 are interposed between each side wall 21, 22, 23, and 24 and the heat insulating material 3, if a sufficient space is secured as the circulation portion 30. The storage section 20 is supported by these spacers 25 together. Therefore, by storing the heat insulating material 3 in the housing 2, the storage part 20, the circulation part 30, and the heat insulating material 3 can be stored compactly inside the housing 2.

Thus, by providing a space between the four side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24 of the storage unit 20 and the heat insulating material 3 to form the circulation unit 30, _C can be covered with a lid 2 6 having insulation above the housing part 2 0 Then, the rice inside the container 2 0 open this openable lid 2 6 easily throw input. In addition, the opening / closing lid 26 is configured so that the inlet of the storage unit 20 can be sealed, so that the cooling effect is not reduced, and at the same time, the inside of the storage unit 20 is sealed to secure the moisture (moisture) inside. Is kept almost constant. Therefore, in the rice bin device 1 of this example, the storage portion 20 is substantially sealed by the side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24, and furthermore by the opening / closing lid 26, so that the inside of the storage portion 20 is outside. It is possible to prevent moisture from entering and forming dew condensation near the side walls 21, 22, 23 and 24. At the same time, as will be described in detail below, similarly to the rice bin device described above with reference to Fig. 7 and the like, cool air for cooling the storage unit 20 is prevented from directly entering the storage unit 20. As a result, it is possible to create an environment in which white rice can be stored with high quality for a long period of time without the white rice being too dry. As the storage unit 20, for example, a storage unit capable of storing 30 kg of rice bags equivalent to about one month of ordinary households can be used.

In the cooling unit 9 disposed on the back surface side 2 b inside the housing 2, a unit-type cooling unit 10 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the storage unit 20 with the heat insulating material 3 interposed therebetween. The cooling unit 10 includes an electronic refrigeration unit 11. In this example, the electronic refrigeration unit 11 includes an electronic heat pump manufactured based on the Peltier effect and other semiconductor-metal junctions. And a thermoelectric cooling element 18 using the same function as that of the above. In the cooling unit 10 of this example, the heat exchanger 12 on the exhaust heat side of the electronic refrigerator 11 is provided on the back side 2b, and the heat exchanger 13 on the heat absorption side circulates through the heat insulating material 3. It protrudes inside the part 30. The heat exchanger 13 and its tip form a cooling surface 17 for cooling air in the circulation section 30.Furthermore, external air is circulated to the heat exchanger 12 on the exhaust heat side. Promotes waste heat Two cooling fans 15 are provided. By arranging the cooling unit 10 in this manner, the heat exchanger 13 on the heat-absorbing side can directly cool the air in the circulating section 30 which is a cooling circulating space.

In this example, the circulation section 30 includes the heat exchanger 13 of the cooling unit 10 and the storage section.

A fan 35 is provided between the side wall 22 of the back surface side 2 b of 20. By forcibly circulating the air in the circulating section 30 by the fan 35, the circulating efficiency is improved, and the storage section 20 can be rapidly and uniformly cooled. In addition, by forcibly circulating the air in the circulation unit 30, the heat absorption efficiency of the heat exchanger 13 is improved, the efficiency of the cooling unit 10 can be increased, and power consumption can be reduced. . Furthermore, in this example, the fan

Since 35 is located near the heat exchanger 13, the cool air can be circulated reliably and quickly, and only heat is absorbed from the side wall 22 of the back side 2 b of the storage section 20. And the temperature of the side wall 22 rapidly decreases.

In the rice bin device 1 of this example, the cooling unit 10 cools the air in the circulating section 30, and this cool air is blown by the fan 35 as shown by arrows H in FIG. , 23 and 24 are circulated almost horizontally along the perimeter. For this reason, the side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24 of the storage section 20 formed of a metal material such as an iron plate having good heat conductivity are cooled by the circulating cool air, and these side walls 21, 2 The inside of the storage section 20 is cooled through 2, 23 and 24. Thus, in the rice bin device 1 of this example, the side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24 are cooled using air as a medium, and the storage portion 20 is indirectly used as a heat dissipation portion using the side wall having a large area. I'm trying to cool. Therefore, the cold air directly hits the white rice, and the white rice can be kept fresh for a long period of time without causing low-temperature damage such as cracking or discoloration of the rice. You can easily get rice.

In addition, since the air in the circulation section 30 circulates in the same direction so as to surround the side walls 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the storage section 20, the air circulation path is simple and cooling The cool air cooled by the unit 10 spreads uniformly in the circulation section 30 in a short time, and the side walls 21, 22, 23 and 24 can be cooled in almost the same condition. Furthermore, since the air is forcibly circulated by the fan 35 provided in the circulation section 30, the state of each side wall 21, 22, 23, and 24 is almost the same, and the storage section 20 is located on the side. From the cooling. Further, by circulating, the circulation efficiency of the circulation section 30 is also improved. As described above, in the rice bin device 1 of the present embodiment, the entire storage section 20 can be uniformly cooled.

Moreover, unlike the rice bin device described above with reference to FIG. 7 and the like, the rice bin device 1 of this example is not directly cooled by bringing the cooling unit 10 into contact with the side wall of the storage unit 20. Instead, heat is transferred through the air in the circulating layer 30. Therefore, even if the side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24 are made thinner, the storage part 20 can be cooled almost uniformly as a whole, and the internal temperature distribution of the storage part 20 is small. The rice bin device 1 can be realized lightly and at low cost.

FIG. 4 (A) shows the distribution of the internal temperature of the storage section 20 measured at the same point as in FIG. In FIG. 4 (A), the solid line A indicates the temperature of the central part A of the storage part 20. On the other hand, the dashed line B indicates the temperature of the lower part B of the back side 2b of the storage section 20 as shown in FIGS. 4 (B) and 4 (C). ) And FIG. 4 (C), the temperature of the upper part C of the front side 2a of the storage part 20 is shown. As shown in Fig. 4 (A), in the rice bin device 1 of this example, the temperatures of the parts A, B, and C decrease in almost the same state, and saturate at a temperature suitable for long-term storage of rice. ing. That is, the central part of the storage part 20 A is about 19 ° C, lower part of back side 2b of storage part 20 is lower part B is about 17 ° C, front part of storage part 20 is upper part 2a C is about 20 ° Therefore, the rice bin device 1 having a very small distribution width of the internal temperature of the storage section 20 of about 3 ° C can be provided. The rice bin device 90 of the type that directly cools the side wall of the storage section 20 described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 6 has a temperature distribution width of about 6 ° C. Compared to this, the temperature distribution width of the rice bin device 1 of this example is almost halved, and the temperature distribution width that is less than 5 ° C, which is the desirable temperature distribution width for refrigerated white rice, is sufficiently cleared to obtain a nearly uniform temperature distribution. be able to.

Therefore, in the rice bin device 1 of this example, in order to prevent the occurrence of pests and molds, and to prevent low-temperature damage such as cracking of the rice and drying and discoloration of the rice, the rice is stored for a long time. The internal temperature distribution of the storage unit 20 can be kept within a desirable range of 15 ° C to 20 ° C with a margin. Even if the temperature fluctuates, it is possible to control the internal temperature of the storage unit 20 to an appropriate temperature range, and keep the white rice fresh for a long time without causing high or low temperature damage be able to. Therefore, by using the rice bin device 1 of the present example, it is possible to easily and easily obtain white rice excellent in taste at home or the like.

Thus, the refrigeration system of the present invention prevents white rice from developing pests and mold, and keeps it fresh for a long period of time without causing low-temperature damage such as cracking or discoloration of rice. This method can be applied to rice bins that can produce white rice, and it is easy to obtain white rice with excellent taste even in the seasons when long-term storage of white rice is difficult, such as in summer. Since the rice bin device of this example circulates air and cools the side walls, it is easy to handle and inexpensive, and can be easily installed in ordinary households. In this example, an electronic refrigerator (Peltier cooling device) 11 was used. The cooling unit 10 makes it possible to realize a rice bin device 1 with a more compact and simple configuration. Of course, instead of the Peltier cooling device 11, it is also possible to employ a cooling unit of a type that compresses and expands a dedicated refrigerant with a compressor to cool the air. However, the refrigeration apparatus of the present invention can cool the side wall using air as a medium, and by employing a Bertier cooling apparatus, it can take advantage of its advantages without using special refrigerants such as halogenated hydrocarbons. It is possible to realize a refrigerator having a high cooling capacity. Furthermore, since the refrigeration apparatus of the present invention does not use a special gas such as halogenated hydrocarbons, the configuration of the circulating section for circulating the cool air is very simple, and a system that can cool the inside of the refrigerator from the entire side wall is reduced. It can be built at cost. In addition, it has the advantage that the storage unit can be cooled almost uniformly even if the side wall of the storage unit is thinned.

Further, the circulation part 30 is formed so as to surround the side walls 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the storage part 20. However, by expanding this range, the payout part of the storage part 20 is formed. It may be formed so as to cover the whole including the above. Further, the number of fans for forcibly circulating the air in the circulating section 30 is not limited to one, and two or more fans may be provided. Of course, the mounting location of the fan is also limited to the above example. Not something.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of a rice bin device according to the present invention in which an arrangement different from the above is adopted. The rice bin device 1 shown in these figures has almost the same configuration as the rice bin device shown above, but first, the heat sink (heat exchanger) on the heat absorption side of the Peltier cooling unit 11 arranged in the circulation unit 30 A collection tray 61 for receiving the drain 60 generated in the circulating section 30 is installed below 13 and a heat sink (heat exchanger) 1 2 on the exhaust side through a drain pipe 62. It is connected to an evaporating tray 63 provided between the power supply devices 8 disposed thereunder. The evaporating tray 63 is made of metal or the like having excellent thermal conductivity. The drain 60 discharged by using the exhaust heat of the waste water can be evaporated. Further, in the rice bin device 1 of this example, a fan 15 for exhaust heat is installed between the evaporating tray 63 and the heat sink 12 on the heat-dissipating side, so that high-humidity exhaust air containing the evaporated drain is provided. Are dried by the heat sink 12 and exhausted to the outside of the housing 2. As described above, the rice bin device 1 of the present example can self-process the generated drain by the heat radiation of the power supply device 8 or the heat radiation of the heat-dissipating heat sink 12.

Further, in the rice bin device 1 of the present example, the heat sink 13 on the heat absorbing side of the Peltier cooling device 11 is provided with a flat base 51 and a vertical direction (up and down) so that the longer direction of the flat surface extends substantially horizontally. Fins 52 that are mounted side by side. Then, the circulation fan 35 provided in the horizontal direction of the heat sink 13 on the side of the heat sink 13, and the air of the circulation part 30 is extended along the longitudinal direction of the fin 52 by the circulation fan 35 provided in the horizontal direction. It flows and is cooled. Further, each fin 52 is inclined downward toward the tip, so that the drain 60 generated in the fin 52 easily flows toward the drain pan (drain collection tray) 61 provided below. ing. Therefore, drain does not accumulate on the surface of each of the fins 52, and the heat exchange efficiency can be maintained high.

As described above, the rice bin device 1 of this example can cool the air in the circulating section 30 more efficiently by the Peltier cooling unit 11, and is small in size, has high cooling efficiency, and consumes less power. It can provide fewer rice bins. Then, the white rice 70 supplied from the input port 2 Ob of the storage 20 is cooled indirectly through the side walls 21 to 24 in the same manner as the rice bin device described above, and is maintained for a long time while maintaining an appropriate humidity. It can be kept in a temperature range where it can be stored. Therefore, from the outlet 20 a of the storage 20, You can always get delicious white rice that is kept fresh. In addition, in the rice bin device 1 of this example, the drain generated inside the device is self-evaporated and can be discharged to the outside by dry exhaust, so that the piping for drain treatment and the time for drain treatment are troublesome. It can be installed more easily at home, etc. In addition, since the drain is automatically processed, it can be used with confidence without the drain overflowing or flowing back into the storage to wet the white rice and degrade the quality. Industrial applicability

The refrigeration apparatus of the present invention can cool the storage section on average by circulating cool air between the storage section and a heat insulating section provided so as to cover the periphery of the storage section for keeping the cold. Because it can keep the temperature distribution small and maintain a moderate humidity, it is not limited to rice bin equipment that stores white rice and refrigeration equipment that refrigerates and stores many items such as other grains and fresh food products Applicable.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A storage part capable of storing the object to be refrigerated in a substantially sealed state, a heat insulating part provided so as to surround a side wall of the storage part, and a circulation capable of circulating air between the heat insulating part and the storage part. And a cooling unit for cooling the air in the circulating unit.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit is a Peltier cooling unit using a Peltier effect.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a space for the circulation unit is provided between four side walls of the storage unit and the heat insulation unit.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, further comprising a fan for forcibly circulating the air in the circulating portion in a horizontal direction along an outer periphery of a side wall of the storage portion.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein a side wall of the storage section is supported from the heat insulating section via a spacer.

6. The refrigeration apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a lid capable of opening and closing an upper portion of the storage portion and substantially closing the storage portion.

7. The cooling unit according to claim 3, wherein the cooling unit is a Peltier cooling unit using a Peltier effect, and the storage unit and the Peltier cooling unit are arranged substantially horizontally. Refrigeration equipment.