JP2005274031A - Storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a storage device having small cooling load and high cooling capability while saving energy. <P>SOLUTION: A flat type showcase 1 comprises a bottomed box-shaped storage portion 3 having an opening 2 at the upper part, a first supply port 11 for supplying cool air A to the lower side of a storage region 4 of the storage portion 3, and a collection port 13 for collecting the cool air A from the upper end of the storage region 4. The cool air A supplied upward to the storage region 4 flows into the collection port 13 located thereabove, and so the flow of the cool air in the storage region 4 is improved to reduce a temperature difference between the supply side and the collection side of the cool air. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a storage device such as a flat showcase that is often used for displaying frozen foods such as ice cream.

Flat-type showcases are known as showcases installed in stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, and are often used for display or display of frozen foods such as ice cream and chilled products such as desserts. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-188880 discloses a refrigerated flat showcase. The upper part of the frozen flat type showcase is open, and by forming a cold air curtain in the upper opening, it is possible to prevent the entry of outside air into the warehouse and keep the interior at a low temperature.
JP 2002-188880 A

  Even in flat showcases, reducing power consumption is one of the important issues. Therefore, various technical developments have been made, such as improving the heat insulation performance of the case or increasing the efficiency of the heat exchanger. In addition, it is important to increase the interval between defrosting operations (defrosting and defrosting) in the heat exchanger and shorten the period of the defrosting operation in order to prevent frosting of displayed products and softening of products. is there. One solution is to reduce icing by reducing the load on the heat exchanger. In addition, increasing the defrost interval or shortening the operation period contributes to power saving because the power consumed by the heater for defrosting can be reduced.

  In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-188880, the air curtain rectifying effect is enhanced to maintain the optimal air curtain formation and increase the defrost interval. By the way, in an apparatus that circulates cool air to cool the inside of the case, the difference between the temperature of the cool air supplied to the case and the temperature of the cool air exhausted or taken in from the case is a load on the indoor side (cooling load) in the heat exchanger. become. Therefore, it is desirable that the temperature difference between the blowout and the suction is small. However, in the flat open showcase, as long as an air curtain is made to maintain the temperature inside the case, it is inevitable that the suction side has a high rate of sucking in cold air mixed with outside air, and the cooling load is reduced. It is not easy to do.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage device that can reduce the cooling load of a refrigerator that cools a case (or storage unit). It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage device that saves power and has a high cooling capacity, and that can extend the interval required by the defrost.

  The storage device according to the present invention includes a storage unit having a bottomed box shape with an opening at the top, a first supply port for supplying cold air to a lower half region of the storage region of the storage unit, and storage of the storage unit And a recovery port for recovering cold air from the upper end of the region. The storage device of the present invention blows out cold air from the first supply port, fills the storage region of the storage unit with cold air, and recovers the cold air that has overflowed the storage region from the recovery port. In this storage device, cooling having a cooling step of supplying cold air from a first supply port provided in a lower half region of the storage area of the storage unit and recovering cold air from a recovery port at the upper end of the storage region of the storage unit In the method, basically, an object to be cooled such as frozen food stored in the storage area is cooled by cool air passing through the storage area in an upflow. Therefore, the basic flow of the cool air is fundamentally different from the conventional cooling method of the downflow, in which the cool air forming the air curtain in the upper opening is supplied to the storage area from above due to the specific gravity difference.

  In the storage device and the cooling method of the present invention, since the cold air basically flows in an upflow, it is difficult for a state of being mixed with warm air having a temperature higher than that of the cold air. That is, the cooling method for supplying cold air by natural convection due to the specific gravity difference between the cold air and the warm air does not require the fan power to circulate the cold air, and the storage area uses the cold air that forms an air curtain in the opening. Can also be cooled. However, since the cold air flows in a state of being confused with the warm air having a temperature higher than that of the cold air, the temperature of the cold air is likely to rise and is not always efficiently used for cooling the object to be cooled. Further, in the storage portion with the opening at the top, the downflow due to the cold causes a phenomenon that the warm air above is drawn into the storage portion or the warm air is prevented from flowing upward. In particular, the cool air blown out to form an air curtain is at least partially mixed with the outside air immediately after being blown out, and does not contribute to the cooling of the object to be cooled in the storage unit.

  On the other hand, in the storage device and the cooling method of the present invention, the cold air supplied from the first supply port does not come into contact with the outside air immediately after being blown out, so that the object to be cooled can be efficiently cooled. Furthermore, since the cold air basically flows in an upflow, natural convection does not occur between the warm air and a phenomenon in which the cold air is warmed by the warm air or draws the warm air into the storage area is unlikely to occur. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the storage area by cold air can be improved.

  Therefore, the temperature difference between the cold air supplied from the first supply port and the air (exhaust gas) recovered from the recovery port can be reduced, and the cooling load of the indoor heat exchanger can be reduced. For this reason, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage device with low power consumption and high cooling capacity. Moreover, by reducing the cooling load of the heat exchanger, it is possible to lengthen a period during which defrost is not required (a period during which the heat exchanger can be serviced continuously) or to shorten the time required for defrost. For this reason, the influence of the defrost with respect to a to-be-cooled body can be made small, and electric power consumption can be reduced further by reducing the electric power which defrost requires.

  Furthermore, since the specific gravity of cold air is large relative to the outside air (warm air), the boundary between the cold air and the outside air that fills the storage area becomes like a water surface, although the stability is different, and after the cold air fills the storage area, It flows to overflow from the collection port. For this reason, also in the present invention, the inside of the storage section can cool the object to be cooled stored up to the upper end of the storage area by limiting the influence of outside air with the cold up to the upper end of the storage area. is there. The difference in specific gravity between outside air and cold air increases as the outside air temperature increases, so the flow of cold air can be expected to be stable, and the object to be cooled in the storage area can be cooled efficiently and stably even when the temperature difference is high. it can.

  Further, in the storage device and the cooling method of the present invention, it is only necessary to flow cool air so as to fill the storage portion, and therefore it is not necessary to eject cool air at such a pressure as to generate an air curtain. Therefore, the effect that the fan power which circulates cold air can be reduced is also acquired.

  In the storage device and the cooling method of the present invention, a second supply port that blows out cool air from the upper side of the storage unit may be provided. Thereby, the function of an air curtain can be obtained by a part of cold air. In addition, when the first supply port and the recovery port face each other across the storage area, the cooling rate or the cooling effect may be different between the vicinity of the first supply port and the vicinity of the recovery port. However, by providing the second supply port, the temperature difference and / or the cooling rate in the storage area can be made uniform.

  The first supply ports can be arranged in a distributed manner on the bottom surface of the storage unit, can be arranged on the side surface of the storage unit, or can be arranged in both places. In particular, the bottom surface has the largest difference in height with respect to the collection port, and the first supply port is formed in the storage device and the cooling method of the present invention because cold air can be distributed and supplied to the storage region. This is the most suitable position. However, since the bottom surface is also a part that supports the weight of the object to be cooled, there is a high possibility that the structure is complicated.

  In the storage device of the present invention, the heat exchanger that generates the cold air blown out to the storage unit can be provided separately, or can be disposed on the side surface or the bottom surface. By disposing it below the bottom of the storage unit, it is easy to shorten the duct length until the cooled cold air is blown out from the first supply port, and the thermal efficiency can be increased.

  In the present invention, the first supply port that blows out the cold air from the lower half region of the storage unit is provided, and the recovery port that recovers the cold air from the upper end of the storage region of the storage unit is provided, so that the cold air in the storage unit is basically Is circulating in the upflow. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which the cold air blown out from the first supply port comes into direct contact with the outside air or the outside air is drawn into the storage area together with the cold air. For this reason, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency, and to provide a storage device that saves power and has high cooling capacity. In addition, by improving the cooling efficiency, it is possible to reduce the amount of frost on the heat exchanger, to increase the interval at which defrosting is required, and to shorten the time required for defrosting. Can also be suppressed.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a flat showcase using a perspective view. The flat-type showcase 1 of this example is a floor-standing type storage device, and includes a storage area (storage area) 4 having a box shape with a bottom and an opening 2 at the top and a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. Part 3 and a machine part 10 in which a heat exchanger for cooling and the like are arranged below the bottom surface 6 of the storage part 3. A product (an object to be cooled) such as frozen food or ice cream can be stored or displayed in a storage state or storage space 4 inside the storage unit 3 in a frozen state.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross section in the short side direction of the flat showcase. The flat showcase 1 includes a housing 5 that integrally surrounds the storage unit 3 and the machine unit 10, and an inner wall 61 that forms a storage region 4 for storing products therein. A part of the inner wall 61 is provided with a supply port for supplying the cold air A to the storage area 4, and the supply port is a lower supply port (first supply) provided at a position less than half the height of the inner wall 61. 2) and an upper supply port (second supply port) 12 provided near the upper end of the effective volume of the storage area 4. Further, in the vicinity of the upper end of the effective volume of the inner wall 61, a recovery port 13 for recovering the air in the storage area 4 is provided.

  Between the inner wall 61 and the housing 5, there are provided a supply duct 20 that supplies cold air from the mechanical unit 10 to the supply ports 11 and 12, and an exhaust duct 21 that recovers air from the recovery port 13 to the mechanical unit 10. Yes. The mechanical unit 10 includes an evaporator 18 that cools air collected from the collection port 13, an indoor system 28 that includes a circulation fan 19 that sends cold air A to the supply duct 20, and refrigerant that circulates through the evaporator 18. An outdoor system 29 including a compressor 15 for compression and a condenser 16 and a fan 17 for dissipating and condensing the compressed refrigerant is disposed. In addition, a drain receiver 27 for discharging drain generated in the indoor system 28 to the outdoor system 29 and self-evaporating is also disposed.

  In the flat showcase 1, the cold air A supplied from the first supply port 11 to the storage area 4 basically flows from the bottom to the top as shown by a two-dot chain line B1 in FIG. Then, it is recovered from the recovery port 13 located at the upper end of the storage area 4. On the other hand, the cold air A blown from the second supply port 12 flows substantially horizontally and is recovered from the recovery port 13 as indicated by a two-dot chain line B2 in FIG.

  FIG. 3 shows the temperature difference between the air collected at the collection port 13 of the flat showcase 1 and the cold air A supplied from the supply port when the balance of the cold air A supplied from the supply ports 11 and 12 is changed. It is shown. For example, if the temperature difference ΔT is 7 ° C., it indicates that the temperature of the air recovered at the recovery port 13 is −18 ° C. when the cold air A of −25 ° C. is supplied. As shown in FIG. 3, when the cold air A is supplied 100% from the upper second supply port 12, the temperature difference ΔT is 7 ° C., but a part of the cold air A is supplied to the lower first supply port. 11, the temperature difference ΔT is reduced, and about 30% of the cold air A is supplied from the first supply port 11 below, so that the temperature difference ΔT is reduced to 5 ° C. and about 50% of the cold air A is reduced. When supplied from the lower first supply port 11, the temperature difference ΔT is likely to increase slightly, but no significant difference is observed. This measurement is performed by using a storage area 4 having a height of about 440 mm and installing a body to be cooled corresponding to about 80% of the storage area 4, and 1 to 2 hours have passed since the start of operation. The state after the temperature of region 4 is stabilized is shown. An example of the outside air temperature is 25 ° C., and an example of the temperature of the cold air A is −25 ° C.

  As can be seen from this figure, by supplying a part of the cool air A from the lower first supply port 11, the temperature difference ΔT from the exhaust temperature recovered from the recovery port 13 decreases. Since the exhaust temperature basically reflects the temperature inside the storage area 4, it means that the temperature of the storage area 4 could be lowered without lowering the temperature of the cold air A, and that the cooling efficiency was improved. means. Therefore, if the temperature of the storage area 4 is kept constant, it means that the temperature of the cool air A supplied to the storage area 4 can be raised, and the cooling system installed in the machine unit 10 for cooling the storage area 4 This means that the indoor load has decreased. In this example, since the temperature difference ΔT is reduced by about 30%, the cooling load can be reduced by about 30%.

  For this reason, it turns out that the cooling efficiency of a storage area can be improved and cooling load can be improved by introduce | transducing a part of cold air from the downward direction of a storage area. By improving the cooling load, the power consumed by the compressor 15 and the fans 17 and 19 for cooling can be reduced, and the flat showcase 1 with low power consumption and high cooling capacity can be provided. Further, since the cooling load is reduced, the amount of frost attached to the evaporator 18 is also reduced. Therefore, the frequency of defrosting can be reduced. Alternatively, the time required for defrosting can be shortened. Therefore, power consumption required for defrosting can also be reduced. Furthermore, during the defrost period, the cool air cannot be supplied to the storage unit, but the interval between defrosts can be increased or the time required for the defrost can be shortened. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation where ice cream melts or frost or ice adheres to the product value.

  As can be seen from FIG. 3, the temperature difference ΔT is improved by 2 ° C. only by supplying about 30% of the cold air A from the lower first supply port 11. However, even if about 50% of the cold air A is supplied from the first supply port 11, no further improvement is seen in the temperature difference ΔT. A qualitative explanation of the reason has not yet been established, but by injecting about 30% of the cool air A from below, the flow of cool air in the storage area 4 and the flow of the surface layer of the storage area 4 are greatly improved. It can be inferred that the flow is not greatly improved even if the distribution ratio of the cold air A is changed further.

  There are roughly three reasons why the cooling efficiency is improved by supplying a part of the cold air A from the first supply port 11 below. One is that by supplying the cool air A from below the storage area, the cool air A flowing through the storage area 4 is generated by the upflow. When cold air is supplied only from the upper second supply port 12, the cold air A is all supplied to the storage area 4 by downflow by natural convection, whereas by supplying the upflow cold air A, The downward flow of cold air A due to natural convection can be suppressed. Therefore, the cool air A efficiently spreads over the entire storage area 4 and the cooling efficiency is improved. Further, since the rate at which the warm air having a temperature higher than that of the cold air A and the cold air A are in contact with each other decreases, the cool air A efficiently cools the object to be cooled. Further, since the flow reverse to the cold air A is unlikely to occur, the storage area 4 is easily filled with the cold air A. Is done. The storage area 4 is basically cooled from below by supplying the upflow cold air A, whereas the storage area is basically cooled from above when the cold air A is supplied by downflow. It is thought that it is done. Therefore, in order to improve the cooling rate of the upper object to be cooled, it is considered that a certain amount of cool air is desirably supplied from the upper second supply port 12.

  The second reason why the cooling load is reduced is that the cold air A supplied from the second supply port 12 first contacts the outside air to exchange heat, whereas the cold air supplied from the first supply port 11 In the steady state, A is considered to be in contact with the cooled object already cooled or the cool air around it. Therefore, the cool air A supplied from the first supply port 11 can cool the object to be cooled in the state of the lowest temperature blown out, and the cooling efficiency is improved. Further, most of the cool air A supplied to the storage area 4 from below is recovered from the recovery port 13 while flowing through the surface layer after cooling the object to be cooled and reaching the surface layer of the storage area 4. Since cold air has a large specific gravity with respect to the high temperature outside air, mixing with the outside air is suppressed by the specific gravity difference. Therefore, the cold air supplied from below fills the storage area in which the object to be cooled is stored like bath water, flows while wrapping the object to be cooled, and is discharged from the recovery port 13 so that the water overflows. It is expected. However, there is a possibility that the condition of the cold air flowing through the surface layer in contact with the outside air and recovered from the recovery port 13 may not be so different from the conventional air curtain, even if 30% or more of cold air is injected from below. It may be the reason that no further improvement in efficiency has been observed.

  The third reason why the cooling load is reduced is that the position of the first supply port 11 is close to the mechanical unit 10 that is disposed under the storage area 4 and generates cold air, so that loss due to the duct 20 is reduced. It is to be done. That is, since the amount of the cold air A flowing through the duct 20 for a long time can be reduced by blowing from the bottom, the possibility of being heated by the outside air through the duct 20 can be reduced, thereby reducing the substantial heat load. it can.

  It has not been confirmed whether or not it is possible to completely eliminate the flow of the cold air A that easily forms an air curtain blown from the upper second supply port 12. However, the recovery port 13 is generally formed on the wall surface on the opposite side of the storage region 4 with respect to the first supply port 11, and considering the flow of cold air, the recovery port 13 of the first supply port 11 It is difficult to ensure the flow of the cool air A that cools the upper body to be cooled. Therefore, it is considered that the flow rate balance of the cold air A is easier to improve if the second supply port 12 is provided to some extent.

  It is considered that the cooling efficiency is greatly improved by forcibly forming even a part of the upflow of cold air inside the storage area 4 by some method. If the first supply port 11 supplies cold air to the lower half region 4a of the storage region 4, an upflow is formed in a part of the storage region. Therefore, the configuration in which the cold air A is injected into the storage area 4 from below is not limited to that shown in FIG.

  The showcase 1a shown in FIG. 4 is an example thereof, and a duct 20 is arranged on the bottom surface 6 and a plurality of first supply ports 11 for supplying the cold air A upward are arranged in a distributed manner. Since this structure arrange | positions the duct 20 which supplies the cold air A on a floor surface, the duct 20 provided with the intensity | strength as a floor surface is employ | adopted. Moreover, this structure can make the cool air A blowing position the lowest. Further, the cold air A can be distributed and supplied to the storage area 4.

  The showcase 1b shown in FIG. 5 has a configuration in which the second supply port 12 is provided in the showcase 1a shown in FIG. 4, and the bottom surface and the side surface so that the cold air A is blown from the supply ports 11 and 12. The duct 20 is disposed in the front. The showcase 1b can supply cold air A in a distributed manner from the bottom, and can also supply cold air from above.

  The storage device of the present invention is not limited to a flat-type showcase, and includes a box-shaped storage unit with an open top and a bottom, and supplies cool air to the storage unit to The present invention can be applied to all storage devices that employ some of the cooling methods for recovering from the storage.

It is a perspective view of the flat type showcase to which the present invention is applied. It is sectional drawing of the short side direction of the flat type showcase shown in FIG. In the flat type showcase shown in FIG. 1, it is a figure which shows the temperature difference of the air collect | recovered at the collection | recovery port when changing the balance of the cold air supplied from two supply ports, and the cold air supplied from the supply port. is there. It is sectional drawing of the short side direction of a different flat type | mold showcase. Furthermore, it is sectional drawing of the short side direction of a different flat type showcase.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 1b Flat type showcase (storage device)
4 Storage area (effective volume)
4a Lower half area 11 First supply port 12 Second supply port 13 Recovery port 18 Evaporator

Claims (7)

A box with a bottom and an opening at the top,
A first supply port for supplying cold air to a lower half region of the storage region of the storage unit;
A storage device having a recovery port for recovering cold air from an upper end of the storage area of the storage unit.   The storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a second supply port that blows out cool air from an upper end of the storage area of the storage unit.   The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the first supply ports are distributed on the bottom surface of the storage unit.   The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the first supply port is disposed on a side surface of the storage unit.   The storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger that is disposed below the bottom of the storage unit and generates the cold air. It is a method of cooling a storage part with an open top in a boxed shape with a bottom,
The cooling method which has a cooling process which supplies cold air from the 1st supply port provided in the lower half area | region of the said storage part of the said storage part, and collects cold air from the collection | recovery port of the upper end of the said storage area of the said storage part.   The cooling method according to claim 6, wherein in the cooling step, cold air is also blown out from a second supply port at an upper end of the storage area of the storage unit.

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