JP2002119337A - Service cart - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a service cart which is equipped with a storage chamber with a cooling/warming function and can reduce labor lorded on a worker to control temperature of the storage chamber. SOLUTION: This service cart is equipped with a storage chamber with a cooling/warming function to store many kinds of foods laid on a tray 12. A timer 3 which can set starting time of the cooling/warming function of the storage chamber 4 and a means to actuate the cooling/warming function indicated by the timer 3 is equipped on the service cart.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serving truck used in hospitals, other hotels and schools, and provided with a storage compartment having a function of keeping cool and keeping warm.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a facility such as a hospital, a catering truck is used for catering for patients in each hospital room. Such a serving truck is provided with a storage having a shelf for storing a large number of food sets placed on a tray, and can efficiently serve a large number of patients. As such a serving car,
In recent years, storages have been provided with a heat retaining function or a cold retaining function, so that hot meals can be served without cooling or cold meals as they are.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned serving truck, when starting the serving operation of storing and distributing trays on which foods are placed in the storage, the cool room and the warm room are at a desired temperature state. In order to do so, a refrigerator in which a cold room is previously frozen and a warm room is heated to control the temperature is widely used. The above-mentioned serving car requires high power for freezing the cold room and heating the warm room, so in order to control the temperature before the serving work, connect it to an external power supply and turn on the switch to keep the refrigerator cool and warm. Is moving. In addition, the above serving car,
During the serving operation, it is disconnected from the external power supply.
Since this serving operation is performed three times a day, the temperature control of the cool room and the warm room is a burden on the operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to reduce the burden on workers serving to control the temperature of a storage in a serving truck having a storage having a cooling and heat retaining function. An object of the present invention is to provide a serving truck that can be reduced.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a serving truck having a storage compartment having a cooling and warming function for accommodating a plurality of foods placed on a tray. It is characterized by comprising a timer capable of setting the operation start time of the heat retention function, and having a means for freezing or heating by instructions of the timer.
As described above, it is possible to reduce the burden on the worker who controls the temperature of the cool room and the warm room.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the serving vehicle according to the first aspect, the time for starting the serving operation is input to the timer, so that the cooling and warming function of the storage box can be operated a predetermined time before. Is started. As described above, when the time required for cooling and keeping the heat is different, it is possible to start the cooling and keeping the heat of the storage box only by inputting the time at which the serving operation is started.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the catering vehicle according to the first or second aspect, wherein the timer has a built-in battery. By the above,
When a power outage occurs, the storage of the set time can be maintained.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the serving car according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the timer is detachable from the serving car body.

[0009]

1 and 2 show an embodiment according to the first to third aspects of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of a serving car, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view.

The serving truck is of an electric assist type used in hospitals and the like having a built-in driving device.
And a storage 4 having a plurality of steps for storing foods fixed thereon. The storage box 4 is provided with four chambers, a warming room 4a is provided in the rooms before and after the serving car, and a cool room 4b is provided in two central rooms, and a tray 12 is provided in each of the warm room 4a and the cool room 4b. Doors 13 for taking in and out the foods placed on the serving truck are provided on both side surfaces of the catering car. The door 13 is formed of a transparent plate so that the state of the storage 4 can be checked without opening the door 13. Further, in the storage 4, an outlet 11 for blowing air adjusted to a predetermined temperature by freezing or heating each room is formed. The serving car is provided with a temperature sensor in the warm room 4a or the cool room 4b of the storage 4,
The temperature data of the warm room 4a and the cool room 4b measured by the temperature sensor are respectively displayed on a temperature display 14 provided above the door 13.

The serving car 1 has a handle 15 on its front surface for controlling running.
5 so that it can be moved with a small operating force by using an electric assist function. The serving car includes an operation panel 17 provided with various switches 16 above the handle 15 and a monitor 18 for displaying various information.

Further, the serving car is provided with a power supply inlet 2 from the outside above the door 13 and a timer 3 for setting a connection start time with an external power supply. In the serving car, the plug 5 of the external power supply 6 is inserted into the power supply inlet 2 to freeze the cool room 4b and heat the warm room 4a. The timer 3 is set in the storage 4 by the setting unit 7.
The start time of the operation of the cooling and warming function is set. Based on the instruction signal from the timer 3, the serving car starts freezing the cold storage room 4b and heating the warming room 4a. The cold room 4b and the warm room 4a are pre-frozen or heated so that the cold room 4b and the warm room 4a are in a desired temperature state when the serving operation is started. It is.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of each device of the serving car. In the serving car, various devices are connected to a control unit 21 configured using a microcomputer or the like. The control unit 21 receives an instruction signal from the timer 3 and a signal of temperature data from a temperature sensor 24 that measures the temperatures of the heat insulation room 4a and the cold insulation room 4b. The control unit 21
Outputs the temperature data to the temperature display 14, and outputs a signal for moving to the heating device 23 for heating the heat insulation room 4a and the refrigeration device 22 for freezing the cold insulation room 4b.

The setting of the timer 3 can set three or more sets of time since the serving operation is performed three times a day. The time set by the timer 3 is the time at which the operation of the cooling and warming functions is started.
Even at the same time, it may be set individually. Further, the time set by the timer 3 may be a direct time or an indirect time at which the operation of the cooling and warming function is started. When the time required for the cold storage and the heat retention of the storage box 4 are different, the timer 3 starts the freezing of the cold storage room 4b and the heating of the warming room 4a by inputting the time to start the serving operation. It is preferable that the time is set. For example, if the cold storage room 4b reaches a predetermined temperature 60 minutes after the refrigerating device 22 starts moving, and the warming room 4a reaches a predetermined temperature 40 minutes after the heating device 23 starts moving, the timer 3 is set. The time is automatically set so as to be earlier by the required time based on the time, and if the worker inputs 7:00 which is the time to start the serving operation, the serving car is set to the freezer 22 at 6:00. Starts moving, 6:20
The heating device 23 starts to move every minute.

Preferably, the timer 3 has a built-in battery such as a lithium battery, and has a mechanism for maintaining the storage of a set time when a power failure occurs.

Although the serving truck is of the electric assist type, the serving truck of the present invention may be of a manual type.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a serving truck showing an example of an embodiment corresponding to the invention according to claim 4. Only the points different from the serving car described above will be described.

In the serving car, a timer device 1a provided with the timer 3 is detachable from the serving car main body 1. If the timer device 1a is separate from the serving car main body 1, it can be removed during serving work, so that the serving car becomes lighter and the serving car can be operated more easily.

The serving car is provided with a timer 3 which can set the start time of the operation of the cool and heat keeping function of the storage box 4. The timer 3 instructs the freezing of the cool room 4b and the freezing of the warm room 4a. Since the heating is started, the burden on the worker who controls the temperature of the storage 4 can be reduced.

[0020]

The serving car according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention is provided with a timer capable of setting the start time of the operation of the cooling and warming function of the storage, and freezing or heating can be operated by the instruction of the timer. Because of the means, the burden on the operator who controls the temperature of the storage can be reduced.

Further, the serving car according to claim 3 is preferably
The storage of the set time can be maintained without being erased when a power failure occurs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a connection between respective devices of the serving car.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Serving car main body 2 Power supply inlet 3 Timer 4 Storage room 4a Heat insulation room 4b Cold insulation room 6 External power supply 12 Tray

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A timer capable of setting the start time of the operation of the cooling and heat retaining function of a refrigerator in a catering car provided with a refrigerator and a refrigerator having a cooling and heat retaining function for accommodating a plurality of foods placed on a tray. And a means for refrigeration or heating being operated by the instruction of the timer. 2. The catering vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the cooling and warming function of the storage compartment is started a predetermined time before the time at which the catering work is started is input to the timer. . 3. The serving car according to claim 1, wherein the timer has a built-in battery. 4. The serving car according to claim 1, wherein the timer is detachable from a serving car main body.