WO2014171455A1

WO2014171455A1 - Tunnel-type cooling device

Info

Publication number: WO2014171455A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/060725
Authority: WO
Inventors: 古賀靖
Original assignee: 古賀産業株式会社
Priority date: 2013-04-18
Filing date: 2014-04-15
Publication date: 2014-10-23
Also published as: JP5810430B2; JP2014211259A

Abstract

A conveyor (18) that transports an object to be cooled from a loading port (15) to an unloading port (16) is provided within a heat-insulating box (10) equipped with the loading port and the unloading port. Coolers (31) are arranged opposing the conveyor, and cooling fans (35) are arranged between the coolers and the conveyor. The cooling fans send the cooling air between the cooling fans and the coolers toward the conveyor. The heat-insulating box is divided into two parts, that is, a lower half (10b), and an upper half (10a) which is capable of being raised and lowered. When the upper half is raised, cooling units (30) containing the coolers and the cooling fans are exposed in the horizontal direction between the upper half and the lower half.

Description

Tunnel cooling system

The present invention relates to a tunnel type cooling device for cooling an object to be cooled such as food.

A tunnel-type cooling device is used to sequentially cool (and freeze) a large amount of objects to be cooled such as food. This tunnel type cooling device includes a carry-in port for carrying in an object to be cooled into one of the heat insulating boxes, and a carry-out port for carrying out the cooled object to be cooled at the other. The carry-in port and the carry-out port are connected by a conveyor. The object to be cooled is placed on the conveyor at the carry-in port, conveyed in the heat insulating box, and taken out at the carry-out port. The object to be cooled is cooled while passing through the heat insulation box.

The cooling section of such a tunnel-type cooling device generally includes a cooler in which cooling fins are attached to the outer peripheral surface of a cooling coil through which a refrigerant moves, and a fan that sends cooling air toward an object to be cooled on a conveyor. ing.

As a cooling method of the tunnel cooling device, a forced circulation method is generally used (see FIG. 14 of Patent Document 1). In the forced circulation system, the cooling air cooled by the cooler is blown toward the food that is the object to be cooled using a fan, and the circulating air that is heated by heat exchange with the food and contains water vapor is always present. Return to the cooler and pass through it. The reflux air is cooled as it passes through the cooler. Therefore, there is a problem that water vapor in the circulating air frosts on the cooler and the cooling efficiency decreases.

In view of this, a tunnel-type cooling device has been proposed in which most of the circulating air that is warmed from the object to be cooled and contains water vapor is sent to the object to be cooled by a fan without passing through the cooler (see FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1). 9, FIG. 14 of Patent Document 2). The cooling system of this tunnel type cooling device is sometimes called a “non-through system” because most of the circulating air from the object to be cooled does not pass through the cooler. In the non-through-flow method, since the ratio of the circulating air passing through the cooler is small (or almost none), the frost formation on the cooler is drastically reduced. Thereby, the defrosting operation | work of a cooler is unnecessary or the frequency of a defrosting operation | work can be decreased. Therefore, continuous operation for a long time is possible, and the processing efficiency when cooling a large amount of objects to be cooled can be improved.

Japanese Patent No. 3366777 Japanese Patent No. 3771556

In the field of food production, it is required to maintain and manage food production equipment cleanly in order to increase food safety. The tunnel-type cooling device used for cooling food is no exception, and it is desirable to have a structure that can clean the interior cleanly to every corner.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tunnel type cooling device that can be easily cleaned.

The tunnel-type cooling device of the present invention includes a carry-in port through which an object to be cooled is carried in, a heat insulation box having a carry-out port through which the object to be cooled is carried out, and the object to be cooled in the heat insulation box. A conveyor for transporting from the carry-in port to the carry-out port, a cooler disposed opposite to the conveyer, and a cooling unit including a cooling fan disposed between the cooler and the conveyor. The cooling fan sends cooling air between the cooling fan and the cooler toward the conveyor. The heat insulation box is divided into two parts, a lower half and an upper half that can be raised and lowered. When the upper half is raised, the cooling unit is exposed in the horizontal direction between the lower half and the upper half.

According to the present invention, when the upper half is raised, the cooling unit is exposed in the horizontal direction between the lower half and the upper half. Therefore, it is possible to clean every corner from between the lower half and the upper half while visually observing the inside of the heat insulating box. Therefore, it is possible to provide a tunnel type cooling device that can be easily cleaned and can be maintained in a clean state.

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a tunnel-type cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the tunnel-type cooling device according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along the line 1B-1B of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a front view of the tunnel-type cooling device according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed along the arrow 1C in FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the air flow in the vicinity of the cooling unit in the tunnel-type cooling device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the lifting mechanism of the upper half in the tunnel type cooling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side view of the tunnel-type cooling device according to the embodiment of the present invention in which the upper half is raised. FIG. 5A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the seal between the upper half and the lower half of the heat insulation box along the line 5A-5A in FIG. FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another seal between the upper half and the lower half of the heat insulation box.

In the above-described tunnel-type cooling device of the present invention, the cooling unit is configured such that at least a part of the circulating air from the conveyor side is sent out toward the conveyor by the cooling fan without passing through the cooler. It is preferable that it is comprised. As a result, a non-flow-through tunnel cooling device can be realized. This is advantageous in reducing frost formation on the cooler. Moreover, since a duct for circulating general air is not required in the forced circulation type cooling device, it is advantageous for improving the cleaning property inside the heat insulating box.

The above-described tunnel-type cooling device of the present invention may include a seal between the lower half and the upper half. The seal may include an inclined plate inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. In this case, it is preferable that the seal is fixed to one of the lower half and the upper half. It is preferable that one side edge of the inclined plate contacts the other of the lower half and the upper half when the upper half is lowered. Thereby, when the upper half is lowered, a seal that can be hermetically sealed can be realized. This is advantageous for improving heat insulation between the heat insulation box and the outside.

In the above, the seal may include a plurality of the inclined plates that are spaced apart from each other. In this case, it is preferable that a sealed space is formed between the plurality of inclined plates when the upper half is lowered. This is advantageous for further improving the heat insulation between the heat insulation box and the outside.

The seal may have a substantially “V” -shaped cross section. This reduces the number of parts constituting the seal and simplifies the seal structure. This is advantageous in improving the assembly and cleaning properties of the seal.

The tunnel-type cooling device according to the present invention may include a heat insulating chamber separated from a cooling chamber in which the cooling unit is arranged and a partition wall in the vicinity of the carry-in port and the carry-out port in the heat insulation box. Good. In this case, it is preferable that a stirring fan for blowing air toward the conveyor is disposed in the heat insulating chamber. This is advantageous for improving heat insulation between the cooling chamber and the outside of the heat insulation box.

The tunnel-type cooling device according to the present invention may include a plurality of actuators for raising and lowering the upper half and a plurality of guide mechanisms extending in the vertical direction for guiding the upper half that moves up and down. In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of actuators raise and lower the upper half while synchronizing with each other. This is advantageous for raising and lowering the upper half.

It is preferable that each of the plurality of actuators is attached with play to at least one of the upper half and the lower half. This is further advantageous for raising and lowering the upper half.

The tunnel-type cooling device of the present invention includes a duct for circulating air so that the circulating air from the conveyor side passes through the cooler and is sent to the conveyor side in the heat insulating box. Preferably not. This is advantageous in improving the cleanability inside the heat insulating box and reducing the size of the heat insulating box.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail while showing preferred embodiments thereof. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. For convenience of explanation, the drawings referred to in the following description show only the main members necessary for explaining the present invention in a simplified manner among the members constituting the embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can include any member not shown in the following drawings. Further, in the following drawings, the actual dimensions of members and the dimensional ratios of the members are not faithfully represented.

1A is a plan view of a tunnel-type cooling device (hereinafter referred to as “cooling device”) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an arrow view of the cooling device 1 along line 1B-1B in FIG. 1A. 1C is a front view of the cooling device 1 viewed along the arrow 1C in FIG. 1A.

The cooling device 1 of this embodiment includes a heat insulating box 10 that is divided into an upper half 10a and a lower half 10b. Although not shown in detail, the upper herb 10a and the lower half 10b are each configured by fixing a wall material to a frame (skeleton) that is firmly assembled. A wall material can be comprised with the heat insulating board which pinched | interposed the heat insulating material with the inner wall board and the outer wall board, for example (refer FIG. 5A mentioned later). The material exposed to the outside of the heat insulation box 10 and its internal space (inner wall plate, outer wall plate, frame, etc.) has a rust preventive treatment on its surface, or is a metal material with excellent rust prevention properties such as stainless steel Preferably it consists of.

A carry-in port 15 is provided at one end of the heat insulating box 10 in the longitudinal direction, and a carry-out port 16 is provided at the other end. As shown in FIG. 1C, the carry-in port 15 is an opening between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b, and is formed by cutting out the upper end of the lower half 10b in this embodiment. Although illustration is omitted, the carry-out port 16 is also formed between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b by notching the upper end of the lower half 10b, similarly to the carry-in port 15 shown in FIG. 1C.

In the heat insulation box 10, a conveyor 18 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the heat insulation box 10. The conveyor 18 is a member in which strips are connected in an annular shape. The shape of the conveyor 18 is arbitrary. For example, the conveyor 18 may be a belt conveyor having a large number of through-holes or a net-like net conveyor so as to have air permeability in the thickness direction. It may be a non-perforated belt conveyor. The material of the conveyor 18 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of cleanability, it is preferable to use tenless steel excellent in rust prevention property, a metal material subjected to rust prevention treatment, or a resin material. The conveyor 18 is supported by a number of conveying rollers (not shown) so that the upper surface of the conveyor 18 is parallel to the horizontal plane, and is driven in the direction of the arrow 18a at a constant speed by a driving device (not shown). One end of the conveyor 18 projects slightly from the carry-in port 15, and the other end of the conveyor 18 projects slightly from the carry-out port 16. An object to be cooled (for example, food) is placed on the conveyor 18 on the carry-in entrance 15 side, is placed on the conveyor 18 and enters the heat-insulating box body 10 from the carry-in entrance 15, and is transported through the heat-insulated box body 10. After exiting 18, it is picked up from the conveyor 18. The object to be cooled is cooled in the process of passing through the heat insulating box 10. In the present invention, “cooling” means lowering the temperature of the object to be cooled, and includes “freezing” that lowers the temperature below its freezing point.

The space in the heat insulation box 10 is divided into three spaces in the conveying direction of the conveyor 18 by the

first partition walls

21a and 21b and the

second partition walls

22a and 22b provided in the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b. . Of the three spaces, the space between the

first partition walls

21a and 21b and the

second partition walls

22a and 22b is the cooling chamber 25, and the space between the carry-in port 15 and the

first partition walls

21a and 21b is the first heat insulation. The space between the carry-out port 16 and the

second partition walls

22a and 22b is the second heat insulation chamber 26b.

In the cooling chamber 25, three cooling units 30 are provided above the conveyor 18 along the conveying direction of the conveyor 18. Each cooling unit 30 includes a cooler 31 disposed facing the conveyor 18, and five cooling fans 35 disposed between the cooler 31 and the conveyor 18. The cooler 31 has a large number of cooling fins attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cooling coil through which the refrigerant passes. The plurality of cooling fins are arranged in parallel to each other and spaced apart at a constant pitch. The main surface (surface having the largest area) of the cooling fin is parallel to the vertical direction. There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the structure of the cooler 31, The well-known cooler used in a cooling device or a freezing apparatus can be used. Five cooling fans 35 are arranged on a common horizontal plane, slightly spaced from the cooler 31. As shown in FIG. 1A, the five cooling fans 35 are separated from each other, four of which are arranged at diagonal positions of a substantially rectangular shape, and the other one is arranged at the central position of the substantially rectangular shape. ing. The cooling unit 30 including the cooler 31 and the cooling fan 35 is fixed to the lower half 10b via a frame member (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the air flow in the vicinity of the cooling unit 30. The cooling fan 35 is rotated by a drive motor (not shown) so as to send air toward the conveyor 18 as indicated by an arrow A. Thereby, as indicated by an arrow B, the circulating air from the conveyor 18 side enters the gap between the cooling fan 35 and the cooler 31. That is, air circulation along arrows A and B occurs. The circulating air from the conveyor 18 side along the arrow B is warmed by heat exchange with the object to be cooled and contains water vapor. When this circulating air passes through the gap between the cooler 31 and the cooling fan 35, heat is exchanged with the cooled air in the vicinity of the cooler 31 to be cooled. The cooling air thus cooled is sent out along the arrow A toward the conveyor 18.

As described above, the cooling unit 30 of the present embodiment is configured such that most of the circulating air from the conveyor 18 side is sent out toward the conveyor 18 by the cooling fan 35 without passing through the cooler 31. . That is, the cooling device 1 including the cooling unit 30 of the present embodiment is a non-through-flow type cooling device, similar to the cooling devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2. Therefore, the cooling device 1 of the present embodiment circulates air so that the circulating air from the conveyor side, which is general in a tunnel-type cooling device of the forced circulation type, always passes through the cooler and is sent out toward the conveyor. There is no duct (air flow path) that defines the path.

Most of the circulating air from the conveyor 18 side does not pass through the cooler 31. In addition, even if a part of the circulating air from the conveyor 18 side passes through the cooler 31, such circulating air is cooled near the cooler 31 before entering the cooler 31. Therefore, the water vapor in the reflux air is solidified before entering the cooler 31. Therefore, in the cooling device 1 of the present embodiment, the chilling of the cooler 31 is small. For this reason, the defrosting operation | work of the cooler 31 is unnecessary or the frequency of a defrosting operation | work can be decreased.

Returning to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, two first stirring fans 37 a are provided above the conveyor 18 in the first heat insulation chamber 26 a, and similarly, the second heat insulation chamber 26 b is provided by the conveyor 18. Two second stirring fans 37b are provided on the upper side. The first stirring fan 37 a blows air toward the conveyor 18, thereby reducing the entry and exit of air through the carry-in port 15 between the cooling chamber 25 and the outside of the heat insulating box 10. Similarly, the second stirring fan 37 b blows air toward the conveyor 18, thereby reducing the entry and exit of air through the carry-out port 16 between the cooling chamber 25 and the outside of the heat insulating box 10. That is, the first agitation fan 37a and the second agitation fan 37b form a so-called air curtain that shields and insulates air from entering and exiting the carry-in port 15 and the carry-out port 16. For example, if an air circulation flow is formed in the first and second stage

heat insulation chambers

26a and 26b, the air blocking characteristic can be improved. The air blocking characteristic between the cooling chamber 25 and the outside of the heat insulating box 10 can be adjusted by changing the air blowing angle and the wind speed from the first and

second stirring fans

37a and 37b. Therefore, it is preferable that the mounting angle and the rotation speed of the first and

second stirring fans

37a and 37b can be adjusted. In order to arbitrarily adjust the rotation speeds of the first and

second stirring fans

37a and 37b, a motor (not shown) for driving the first and

second stirring fans

37a and 37b can be inverter-controlled. As with the cooling unit 30, the stirring

fans

37a and 37b are fixed to the lower half 10b via a frame member (not shown).

FIG. 3 is a side view of an elevating mechanism 50 for elevating the upper half 10a. The elevating mechanism 50 includes an actuator 51 for driving the upper half 10a to move up and down, and a guide mechanism 56 for guiding the upper half 10a.

In this embodiment, an electric cylinder actuator is used as the actuator 51. The base end (lower end) of the cylinder 52a is fixed to the lower half 10b, and the tip (upper end) of the piston 52b is fixed to the upper half 10a. By transmitting the rotational output of the motor 54 to the ball screw mechanism (not shown) via the reduction gear mechanism 53, the piston 52b moves in and out of the cylinder 52a.

The guide mechanism 56 includes a rod 57 and a slider 58. The lower end of the rod 57 is fixed to the lower half 10b. The longitudinal direction of the rod 57 is parallel to the vertical direction. The slider 58 is fixed to the upper half 10a. The slider 58 can freely move on the rod 57 along the longitudinal direction of the rod 57.

In the elevating mechanism 50 of the present embodiment, when the upper half 10a moves up and down, the guide mechanism 56 takes charge of the upper half 10a. The actuator 51 only supports the load of the upper half 10a and generates a driving force for raising and lowering the upper half 10a. For this reason, the actuator 51 is provided with play in at least one of the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b.

As shown in FIG. 1A, four lifting mechanisms 50 are provided one by one at the four corners of the heat insulating box 10 having a substantially rectangular plan view shape. The motors 54 of the actuators 51 are controlled so that the four actuators 51 are driven in synchronization.

As described above, the elevating mechanism 50 includes the actuator 51 that is responsible for raising and lowering the upper half 10a and the guide mechanism 56 that is responsible for guiding the upper half 10a that is elevated and lowered. If the four guide mechanisms 56 are attached to the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b with high accuracy by sharing the separate functions between the actuator 51 and the guide mechanism 56, the attachment system of the four actuators 51 can be relaxed. This configuration is advantageous for a smooth raising / lowering operation of the upper half 10a.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the cooling device 1 in which the upper half 10a is raised to the highest position using the lifting device 50. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when the upper half 10a is raised, the lower half 10b and the upper half 10a are separated, and a cooler 31, a cooling fan 35, and a stirring fan 37a are provided between the lower half 10b and the upper half 10a. , 37b are exposed in the horizontal direction. Preferably, the upper half 10a rises so that the lower end of the upper half 10a is higher than the cooler 31, the cooling fan 35, and the stirring

fans

37a and 37b. Furthermore, preferably, the cooler 31, the cooling fan 35, and the stirring

fans

37a and 37b are disposed at a position higher than the upper end of the lower half 10b.

The cleaning of the cooling device 1 can be performed with the upper half 10a raised as shown in FIG. The washing can be performed by so-called water washing in which the inner surface of the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b, the conveyor 18, the cooler 31, the cooling fan 35, and the stirring

fans

37a and 37b are rubbed with a brush or the like while applying water with a hose or the like. A large opening is formed between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b, and the cooler 31, the cooling fan 35, and the stirring

fans

37a and 37b are exposed therebetween, so that the inside of the heat insulating box 10 can be easily observed to every corner. Can be washed. As shown in FIG. 1C, the inner bottom surface 10c of the lower half 10b is gently inclined so as to have a substantially “V” cross-sectional shape. The water at the time of washing is collected by the inclination of the bottom surface 10c and is discharged out of the heat insulating box 10 from a drain port (not shown).

By raising the upper half 10a, the cooler 31, the cooling fan 35, and the stirring

fans

37a and 37b in the heat insulating box 10 are exposed, so there is no need to provide an openable door on the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b. . For this reason, when installing the cooling device 1, it is not necessary to ensure the space for opening a door outside the heat insulation box 10. FIG. Therefore, for example, it is possible to install the cooling device 1 close to the wall of the building, or to arrange a plurality of cooling devices 1 close to each other in parallel, which is necessary for installing the cooling device 1. Less space. Moreover, since it becomes unnecessary to consider the seal required when the door is provided and the cleaning performance of the seal, the cleaning performance is further improved, and the structure of the heat insulating box 10 can be simplified.

A general forced-circulation type tunnel cooling device (see FIG. 14 of Patent Document 1) uses circulating air in a heat insulating box to ensure that the circulating air from the object to be cooled passes through the cooler. In many cases, a duct for circulation is provided, and a cooler is disposed in the duct. In such a forced circulation type tunnel-type cooling device, even if the heat insulation box is composed of an upper half and a lower half that can be divided into upper and lower parts, as in the present invention, and the upper half is raised, the cooler Remains in the duct. In order to clean the inner surfaces of the cooler and the duct, it is necessary to further disassemble the duct. For this reason, it takes a long time for the disassembling work before cleaning and the assembling work after cleaning, and the operating rate of the cooling device is significantly reduced. Moreover, since the structure in the heat insulation box becomes complicated, it is difficult to clean the details, and it is impossible to completely prevent the growth of bacteria, and the cooling device cannot always be kept clean. According to the present invention, in the non-through-flow tunnel cooling device 1 that does not require a duct for circulating the circulating air, the heat insulation box 10 is divided into two in the vertical direction, so that the heat insulation box can be obtained simply by raising the upper half 10a. It is possible to clean the inside of the body 10 while visually observing every corner. Moreover, since a duct is not provided, the heat insulation box 10 can be made small and the cooling device 1 can be space-saving. For this reason, it is possible to install the cooling device 1 in a building having a relatively low ceiling height even though the upper half 10a moves up and down.

FIG. 5A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the seal 60 between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b along the line 5A-5A in FIG. 3 when the upper half 10a is lowered. As shown in FIG. 5A, the seal 60 is fixed to the lower end surface 11 a of the upper half 10 a using bolts 62. The seal 60 has a substantially “V” -shaped cross-sectional shape including two

inclined plates

61 a and 61 b inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The seal 60 is continuously provided between the lower end surface 11a of the upper half 10a and the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b facing each other except for the carry-in port 15 and the carry-out port 16. In FIG. 5A, 12 is a frame constituting the

heat insulation box

10, 13a and 13b are inner wall plates and outer wall plates fixed to the

frame

12, and 14 is a heat insulating material between the inner wall plate 13a and the outer wall plate 13b.

When the upper half 10a is lowered, the lower side edge of the

inclined plates

61a and 61b is pressed against the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b, and the

inclined plates

61a and 61b are elastically slightly bent and deformed. At this time, a sealed space 63 surrounded by the seal 60 and the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b is formed. Therefore, the inner space 10 i and the outside 10 e of the heat insulation box 10 are separated by the air layer in the sealed space 63. Thereby, the heat insulation of the seal 60 when the upper half 10a is lowered is good.

The seal 60 can be manufactured by bending a metal plate having a certain width so as to have a substantially “V” -shaped cross-sectional shape. The material of the seal 60 is not particularly limited, but is preferably excellent in rust prevention properties. For example, a metal material subjected to a rust prevention treatment, stainless steel excellent in rust prevention properties, or a resin material can be used. Of these, stainless steel is preferably used. Thereby, the seal | sticker 60 can also be washed with the inside of the heat insulation box 10, and it is advantageous to the improvement of a washability.

The configuration of the seal between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b is not limited to FIG. 5A. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, a seal 65 composed of two

inclined plates

66a and 66b inclined with respect to the horizontal direction may be provided between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b. Unlike the seal 60 shown in FIG. 5A, the seal 65 of FIG. 5B is composed of two

inclined plates

66a and 66b that are independent of each other. The

inclined plates

66a and 66b are fixed to the lower end surface 11a of the upper half

10a using bolts

67a and 67b, respectively. In FIG. 5B, the inclined plate 66a and the inclined plate 66b are substantially parallel to each other, but the interval between the inclined plate 66a and the inclined plate 66b increases or decreases as the upper half 10a approaches the lower half 10b.

Inclined plates

66a and 66b may be attached to each other.

Also in FIG. 5B, when the upper half 10a is lowered, the lower side edge of the

inclined plates

66a and 66b is pressed against the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b, and the

inclined plates

66a and 66b are slightly elastically slightly. It is bent and deformed. At this time, a sealed space 68 surrounded by the seal 65, the lower end surface 11a of the upper half 10a, and the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b is formed. Therefore, similarly to the seal 60 of FIG. 5A, the heat insulation of the seal 65 when the upper half 10a is lowered is good.

When the seal 60 of FIG. 5A and the seal 65 of FIG. 5B are compared, the seal 60 of FIG. 5A is a single part in which the two

inclined plates

61a and 61b are integrated, so the number of parts constituting the seal is small, Also, the number of bolts for fixing the seal to the upper half 10a can be reduced. Therefore, the assembly of the seal 60 is easy. Further, the small number of parts of the seal 60 and the number of bolts 62 facilitate the cleaning operation of the seal 60, which is advantageous in improving the cleaning performance.

The

seals

60 and 65 can be attached not to the lower end surface 11a of the upper half 10a but to the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b. However, it is preferable to attach to the lower end surface 11a of the upper half 10a as shown in FIG. 5A and FIG.

The above embodiment is merely an example. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate.

The configuration of the cooling unit 30 of the cooling device 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be arbitrarily changed. For example, the configuration of the cooler 31 and the number and arrangement of the cooling fans 35 provided in the cooling unit 30 can be arbitrarily set. Preferably, the cooling unit 30 constitutes a non-flow-through cooling unit. The configuration for realizing the non-flow-through method is known to those skilled in the art.

The cooling device 1 only needs to include at least one cooling unit 30, and the number of cooling units 30 in the cooling device 1 does not have to be three as in the above embodiment. When the width of the conveyor 18 (the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction 18 a) is large, a plurality of cooling units 30 may be arranged in the width direction of the conveyor 18. The cooling unit 30 may be disposed below or on the side of the conveyor 18 instead of being disposed above the conveyor 18. However, from the viewpoint of cleanability, it is preferable to arrange the cooling unit 30 above the conveyor 18 as in the above embodiment. Regardless of the arrangement of the cooling unit 30 with respect to the conveyor 18, when the upper half 10a is raised, the cooling unit 30 is arranged so that the cooling unit 30 is exposed in the horizontal direction between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b. The

The configuration of the

heat insulating chambers

26a and 26b is also arbitrary. For example, the number and arrangement of the stirring

fans

37a and 37b provided in the

heat insulating chambers

26a and 26b can be appropriately changed. The

first partition walls

21a and 21b and the

second partition walls

22a and 22b that partition the

heat insulating chambers

26a and 26b and the cooling chamber 25 are omitted or reduced by adjusting the air blowing angle and the wind speed of the stirring

fans

37a and 37b. Can be. The

heat insulating chambers

26a and 26b and the stirring

fans

37a and 37b may be omitted.

The structure of the raising / lowering mechanism 50 for raising / lowering the upper half 10a is also arbitrary. The drive source of the actuator need not be a motor, and hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure may be used. The arrangement and number of the lifting mechanisms 50 can be appropriately changed in consideration of the size and weight of the upper half 10a. In the case where the upper half 10a is small, it is only necessary to arrange one lifting mechanism 50 at each diagonal position of the substantially rectangular upper half 10a when viewed from above. The number of actuators 51 and the number of guide mechanisms 56 do not have to be the same, and it is not necessary to arrange them close to each other. In general, the number of guide mechanisms 56 is preferably the same as or more than the number of actuators 51. For example, when viewed from above, one actuator 51 can be arranged at each of the four corners, and the guide mechanism 56 can be arranged between the four corners. The guide mechanism may be omitted by causing the actuator to function as a guide mechanism. In this case, the actuator is attached to the upper half and the lower half without providing play.

The shape of the seal disposed between the upper half 10a and the lower half 10b is not limited to the above embodiment. Each of the

seals

60 and 65 in FIGS. 5A and 5B is composed of two inclined plates, but the number of inclined plates constituting the seal may be one, or three or more. May be. The seal may be constituted by something other than the inclined plate. For example, the seal is configured by fitting shapes formed on the lower end surface 11a of the upper half 10a and the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b facing each other, for example, ridges (ribs) and recesses (grooves). May be. In this case, from the viewpoint of drainability during cleaning, it is preferable that a concave line is provided on the lower end surface 11a of the upper half 10a and a convex line is provided on the upper end surface 11b of the lower half 10b.

In the above embodiment, the conveyor 18 is arranged in a straight line when viewed from above, but may be bent or curved, such as a substantially “L” shape or a substantially “U” shape.

Since the tunnel type cooling device of the present invention is a cooling device having excellent cleaning properties, it can be preferably used in the field of food production for cooling or freezing food. However, it can also be used as a cooling device for cooling or freezing an object to be cooled other than food.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tunnel type cooling device 10 Heat insulation box 10a Upper half 10b Lower half 15 Carry-in port 16 Carry-out port 18

Conveyor

21a, 21b, 22a, 22 Partition 25

Cooling chamber

26a, 26b Heat insulation chamber 30 Cooling unit 31 Cooler 35

Cooling fan

37a, 37b Stirring fan 50 Lifting mechanism 51 Actuator 56

Guide mechanism

60, 65

Seals

61a, 61b, 66a, 66b Inclined

plates

63, 68 Sealed space

Claims

A heat-insulating box provided with a carry-in port for carrying the object to be cooled and a carry-out port for carrying out the object to be cooled;
A conveyor for conveying the object to be cooled from the carry-in port to the carry-out port in the heat insulation box;
A cooler disposed opposite to the conveyor, and a cooling unit including a cooling fan disposed between the cooler and the conveyor,
A tunnel-type cooling device in which the cooling fan sends cooling air between the cooling fan and the cooler toward the conveyor;
The heat insulation box is divided into a lower half and an upper half that can be raised and lowered,
When the upper half is raised, the cooling unit is exposed in the horizontal direction between the lower half and the upper half.
2. The cooling unit according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit is configured such that at least a part of the circulating air from the conveyor side is sent toward the conveyor by the cooling fan without passing through the cooler. Tunnel cooling device.
A seal is provided between the lower half and the upper half,
The seal includes an inclined plate inclined with respect to a horizontal direction,
The seal is fixed to one of the lower half and the upper half, and one side edge of the inclined plate contacts the other of the lower half and the upper half when the upper half is lowered. The tunnel-type cooling device according to claim 1, which is in contact with the tunnel-type cooling device.
The tunnel-type cooling device according to claim 3, wherein the seal includes a plurality of the inclined plates spaced apart from each other, and a sealed space is formed between the plurality of inclined plates when the upper half is lowered.
The tunnel-type cooling device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the seal has a substantially "V" -shaped cross section.
In the vicinity of the carry-in port and the carry-out port in the heat insulation box, respectively, a cooling chamber in which the cooling unit is arranged and a heat insulating chamber separated by a partition wall are provided,
The tunnel cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a stirring fan for blowing air toward the conveyor is disposed in the heat insulating chamber.
A plurality of actuators for raising and lowering the upper half;
A plurality of guide mechanisms extending in the vertical direction for guiding the upper half that moves up and down,
The tunnel cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of actuators raise and lower the upper half in synchronization with each other.
The tunnel type cooling device according to claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is attached with play to at least one of the upper half and the lower half.
The duct according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat insulation box does not include a duct for circulating air so that the circulating air from the conveyor side passes through the cooler and is sent to the conveyor side. Tunnel cooling system.