Refrigerated storage and transportation method for items requiring cooling

Abstract

To provide a cooling box which eliminates a need for a power source during transportation and can maintain a low-temperature state over a long time.SOLUTION: A cooling box includes: an outer housing 2 in which a storage space 43 for storing objects needing cooling is formed; and a refrigeration unit 5. A cold storage material holding part 42 for holding a cold storage material 41 is provided within the outer housing 2. The refrigeration unit 5 has an evaporator 53 and includes a housing member 60 in which the evaporator 53 is housed. The housing member 60 is disposed on an exterior of the outer housing 2. A space in the housing member 60 communicates with a storage space in the outer housing 2 through a communication part 72. The cooling box has opening / closing means 6 for opening or closing the communication part 72.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator of the present invention is suitable for transporting medicines, blood, plasma, other organs, frozen foods, and other items that require cooling. The present invention also relates to a method for transporting an object that needs to be cooled. [Background technology]

[0002] Some biopharmaceuticals and vaccines need to be stored at low temperatures and transported to the point of consumption while maintaining that low temperature. Blood for transfusions and plasma may also need to be stored at low temperatures and transported to the point of consumption while maintaining that low temperature.

[0003] The coolers used for these purposes include those equipped with a refrigeration device and those that use a cooling storage material. A refrigerator equipped with the former type of refrigeration device maintains the temperature inside the refrigerator at a low temperature using the refrigeration device. The latter refrigerator maintains a low temperature inside the refrigerator using ice packs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-190753 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The former type of cooler equipped with a refrigeration unit needs to have a power source when it is transported. Therefore, the vehicles that transport the cooler are limited to those that have a power source. Therefore, there are cases where a cooler equipped with a refrigeration unit cannot be transported by a truck or the like that does not have a power source. The latter type of cooler that uses a cold storage material to cool the interior of the cooler has the advantage of not requiring a power source during transportation, but it is necessary to refill the cold storage material every time it is transported. For example, the cold storage material must be cooled in an external freezer beforehand, and the cold storage material must be filled with the cold storage material before transportation. Therefore, a cold storage that uses a cold storage material needs to be refilled every time it is transported, which is a hassle.

[0006] Therefore, the inventors have considered a cooler equipped with a refrigeration unit and a cold storage material. That is, before transportation, the cooler is placed in a place with a power source, and the refrigeration unit is operated to cool the cold storage material. On the other hand, during transportation, the refrigeration unit is stopped, and the temperature inside the cooler is kept low by the internal cold storage material.

[0007] However, this type of cooler has a new problem to be solved. In this type of cooler, it is desirable to place the evaporator and the cold storage material in the same space in order to cool the cold storage material with the cold heat of the evaporator, but in this case, the cold heat inside the cooler may be absorbed by the evaporator when the refrigeration device is stopped. Specifically, when the refrigeration system is stopped, the cooling function of the evaporator is lost, but since the evaporator is connected to external equipment (such as a compressor or condenser) through piping, heat may transfer from the outside through the piping, causing the surface temperature of the evaporator to rise. Therefore, after the refrigeration system is stopped, the evaporator placed inside the cabinet may become a heat source, causing the temperature inside the cabinet to rise. As a result, the time that the interior of the cabinet can be maintained at a low temperature may become shorter than expected.

[0008] The present invention is devised to solve problems caused by a newly discovered phenomenon, and aims to provide a refrigerator that does not require a power source during transportation, does not require the trouble of refilling the refrigerator with cold storage material every time it is transported, and can maintain a low temperature for a long period of time. The present invention also proposes a transportation method that does not require a power source during transportation, does not require the trouble of refilling a cooling storage with a cold storage material every time transportation is performed, and can transport the items to be cooled while maintaining the temperature thereof at a low temperature for a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An embodiment for solving the above-mentioned problems is a cool storage unit having an outer casing that forms an internal storage space for storing items to be cooled, and a refrigeration unit, wherein a cold storage material holding section for holding a cold storage material is provided within the outer casing, the refrigeration unit has an evaporator and a storage member for housing the evaporator, the storage member is disposed outside the outer casing, the space within the storage member is connected to the storage space within the outer casing by a communication section, and the cool storage unit has an opening / closing means for opening and closing the communication section. A specific embodiment for solving the above-mentioned problems is a cool storage unit having an outer casing forming an internal storage space for storing items to be cooled, and a refrigeration unit, wherein a cold storage material holding section for holding a cold storage material is provided within the outer casing, the refrigeration unit has an evaporator and a storage member for accommodating the evaporator, the storage member is disposed outside the outer casing, a communication section connects a space within the storage member to the storage space within the outer casing, the cool storage unit has an opening / closing means for opening and closing the communication section, the communication section is an air passage, and air within the insulated casing and air within the storage member flow in and out through the air passage.

[0010] The cool storage of this embodiment is a cool storage equipped with a refrigeration device and a cold storage material. The cool storage of this embodiment has a communication part between an accommodating member that accommodates an evaporator and an accommodating space in an outer casing, and has an opening / closing means for opening and closing the communication part. In the cold storage of this embodiment, the cold storage material can be cooled by the refrigeration device. When the opening and closing means is opened to cool the cold storage material, the air cooled by the evaporator flows through the communication part to the cold storage material side, and the cold storage material can be cooled efficiently. When the cooler is moved, the opening and closing means is closed. As a result, the housing member housing the evaporator is separated from the housing space inside the outer casing. Therefore, even if the surface temperature of the evaporator rises, it is unlikely to affect the temperature inside the cooler.

[0011] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is desirable that the device further has an insulated housing inside the outer housing, the cold storage material holding section is arranged inside the insulated housing, the storage space is formed, and the opening and closing means is provided in the insulated housing. A specific aspect for solving the above-mentioned problems is a cool storage container having an outer casing that forms an internal storage space for storing items to be cooled, and a refrigeration device, wherein a cold storage material holding section that holds a cold storage material is provided within the outer casing, the refrigeration device has an evaporator and an accommodating member that houses the evaporator, the accommodating member is arranged outside the outer casing, a space within the accommodating member and a storage space within the outer casing are connected by a communication section, and the container has an opening / closing means for opening and closing the communication section, and further has an insulated casing inside the outer casing, wherein the cold storage material holding section is arranged inside the insulated casing and the storage space is formed, and the opening / closing means is provided in the insulated casing.

[0012] According to this aspect, the storage space for storing the object to be cooled is doubly insulated by the wall of the insulating housing and the wall of the outer housing.

[0013] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is desirable that the top wall of the outer shell housing has an outer shell side opening, the top wall of the insulated housing has an insulated housing side opening, the inner surface of the outer shell housing and the top surface of the insulated housing are in contact, the accommodating member is installed on the outer shell housing, and the space within the accommodating member and the accommodating space formed in the insulated housing communicate with each other via the outer shell side opening and the insulated housing side opening, thereby forming the communication portion.

[0014] According to this aspect, no wasted space is generated between the inner surface of the outer housing and the top surface of the heat-insulating housing. In addition, since the inside of the storage member and the inside of the heat-insulating housing are directly connected, no member for connecting the two is required.

[0015] In the above aspect, it is desirable that there be a space between the inner surface of the outer housing and at least one of the outer surfaces of the heat-insulating housing.

[0016] According to this aspect, there is a space between the inner surface of the outer housing and the insulating housing, and this space functions as an insulating layer of air.

[0017] In the above aspect, it is preferable that the communication portion is a single air passage, and that air in the heat-insulating housing and air in the storage member flow in and out through the air passage.

[0018] In the refrigerator of this embodiment, the air in the insulated casing and the air in the storage member flow in and out through a single air passage, so heat exchange occurs between the cooled air moving from the storage member into the insulated casing and the air returning from the insulated casing into the storage member, making it difficult for cold energy to be wasted.

[0019] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the opening and closing means is a detachable and / or movable closing plate.

[0020] The opening and closing means employed in this embodiment has a simple structure and yet can effectively isolate the interior of the storage member from the interior of the heat-insulating housing.

[0021] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the closure plate is inserted into the communication portion to close the communication portion, and that a contact surface between the closure plate and the communication portion has an uneven shape. That is, in the above-mentioned aspect, the closure plate closes the communication portion by being inserted into the communication portion, and it is preferable that the contact surface between the closure plate and the communication portion has an uneven shape.

[0022] When the closing plate is attached, the remaining space connecting the inside of the storage member and the inside of the insulated housing is the gap between the contact surface of the closing plate and the communication part. In the refrigerator of this embodiment, since the contact surface between the closing plate and the communication part has an uneven shape, the distance connecting the inside of the storage member and the inside of the insulated housing is effectively longer, the thermal resistance increases, and the amount of heat dissipation between the inside of the storage member and the inside of the insulated housing decreases.

[0023] The invention relates to a method for transporting items that need to be cooled, which uses a cool storage cabinet that has an outer casing that forms an internal storage space for storing the items that need to be cooled, and a refrigeration device, and a cold storage material holding section that holds a cold storage material is provided within the storage space, the refrigeration device has an evaporator that cools air to be sent to the storage space, and is equipped with an opening and closing means for blocking the flow of air into the storage space, and is characterized in that the method includes placing the cool storage cabinet at a predetermined position, driving the refrigeration device with the opening and closing means open to cool the cold storage material using the evaporator, a blocking step for stopping the refrigeration device and closing the opening and closing means, and a moving step for moving the cool storage cabinet. That is, the invention of a method for transporting items that need to be cooled uses a cool storage cabinet that has an outer casing that forms an internal storage space for storing the items that need to be cooled, and a refrigeration device, wherein a cold storage material holding section that holds a cold storage material is provided within the storage space, the refrigeration device has an evaporator that cools air to be sent to the storage space, and is equipped with an opening and closing means for blocking the flow of air into the storage space, and is characterized in that the method includes carrying out a cold storage material cooling process in which the cold storage cabinet is placed at a predetermined position, and the refrigeration device is driven with the opening and closing means open, causing air cooled by the evaporator to flow into the storage space and cool the cold storage material, a blocking process in which the refrigeration device is stopped and the opening and closing means is closed, and a moving process in which the cold storage cabinet is moved. The invention for a method for transporting items requiring cooling is a method for transporting items requiring cooling that uses a refrigerator described in any of the above, and is characterized by carrying out a cold storage material cooling process in which the refrigerator is placed at a predetermined position, and the refrigeration device is driven with the opening / closing means open, causing air cooled by the evaporator to flow into the storage space and cool the cold storage material, a blocking process in which the refrigeration device is stopped and the opening / closing means is closed, and a moving process in which the refrigerator is moved. Effect of the Invention

[0024] The cooler of the present invention does not require a power source during transportation, does not require the trouble of refilling the cooler with a cold storage material every time it is transported, and can maintain a low temperature for a long period of time. In addition, the method of transporting items requiring cooling according to the present invention does not require a power source during transportation, does not require the trouble of refilling a cooling storage unit with a cold storage material each time the items are transported, and can transport the items requiring cooling while maintaining the temperature of the items at a low temperature for a long period of time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention with the door open; [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooler shown in FIG. 1 . [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in FIG. 2 with the closure plate removed. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooler shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cooler of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 1A is an enlarged view of the insulating housing and the closing plate, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the joint between the insulating housing and the closing plate when the closing plate is attached to the insulating housing side opening of the insulating housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. A cooler 1 of this embodiment is composed of an outer casing 2, a heat-insulating casing 3, a refrigeration device 5, and a closing plate (opening / closing means) 6, as shown in FIGS. The outer housing 2 is a box having a door 10. That is, the outer housing 2 is composed of a main box 11 and the door 10. The main box 11 and the door 10 constituting the outer housing 2 each have a built-in material with heat insulating properties. The outer housing 2 has a framework and reinforcing members (not shown). In addition, the surface is covered with a metal plate or a resin plate. Therefore, the outer housing 2 has considerable rigidity.

[0027] The main body box 11 of the outer housing 2 is a box body with an opening at the front, and has a top wall 12, a bottom wall 15, a rear wall 17, and left and right side walls 18. That is, the main body box 11 has a cavity 8 surrounded by the top wall 12, the bottom wall 15, the rear wall 17, and the left and right side walls 18. Four wheels 20 are attached to the bottom wall 15 of the main body box 11. An opening (outer shell side opening) 21 is provided in the top wall 12 of the main body box 11. The opening (outer shell side opening) 21 allows the inside and outside of the main body box 11 to communicate with each other.

[0028] The door 10 is attached to the front side of the main box 11 by a hinge (not shown) so as to be able to swing. The door 10 opens and closes the opening on the front side of the main box 11. 4, an operation panel 16 is provided on the door 10. The operation panel 16 is used to start and stop the refrigeration device 5, which will be described later. A battery and a control device are built into the operation panel 16. The control device may be provided with a storage means for recording the temperature history inside the cool storage 1. Also, the operation panel 16 may be provided with a display device for displaying the temperature history inside the cool storage 1.

[0029] 1 and 5, a rectangular protrusion 73 is provided on the inner surface of the door 10. That is, the protrusion 73 is located at the center of the main body 75 on the inner surface of the door 10. The size and shape of the protrusion 73 are such that it can fit into the opening on the front side and generally match the edge of the opening on the front side of the heat-insulating casing 3, which will be described later. The protrusion 73 of the door 10 functions as an inner lid that closes the front of the heat-insulating housing 3 described below. Although it is preferable that the protrusion 73 is provided on the door 10, the door 10 may be configured not to have the protrusion 73.

[0030] The heat-insulating housing 3 is a box made of a heat-insulating material. The material of the heat-insulating housing 3 is not limited, but is preferably a vacuum heat-insulating material or a foamed resin. The heat-insulating housing 3 of this embodiment is made of a vacuum heat-insulating material. Note that each part has a reinforcing member (not shown), and the heat-insulating housing 3 has a certain degree of rigidity. The rigidity of the heat-insulating housing 3 is lower than that of the outer housing 2.

[0031] The heat-insulating housing 3 has a top wall 22, a back wall 27, and left and right side walls 28, and is open at the front and bottom. Note that the heat-insulating housing 3 may have a bottom wall. An opening (insulating housing side opening) 31 is provided in the top wall 22 of the thermally insulated housing 3. The opening (insulating housing side opening) 31 is cut out and has a U-shape in plan view. That is, as shown in Figures 5 and 6(a), the opening 31 has two parallel opposing side edges 32, 33 and a rear edge 45 connecting the rear sides of the side edges 32, 33, and is a cutout with an open front side. The vertical walls 37 that define each side of the opening 31 are provided with grooves 40 that extend in the longitudinal direction.

[0032] The inner surface of the thermally insulated housing 3 has a cold storage material holding section 42 that holds a large number of cold storage materials 41. That is, the inner surfaces of the back wall 27 and the left and right side walls 28 that constitute the thermally insulated housing 3 have engagement sections (not shown), and the cold storage materials 41 are held in the engagement sections. Therefore, the three surfaces of the thermally insulated housing 3 are substantially covered with a large number of cold storage materials 41. In this embodiment, it can be said as if the inside of the thermally insulated housing 3 is covered with a wall of the cold storage materials 41. The area inside the heat-insulating housing 3 that is covered with the cold storage material 41 becomes an item storage space 43.

[0033] An outer width A of the thermally insulated housing 3 is smaller than an inner width B of the cavity 8 of the outer housing 2. A depth C of the outer dimension of the thermally insulated housing 3 is smaller than a depth D of the cavity 8 of the outer housing 2. A height E of the thermally insulated housing 3 is approximately equal to a height F of the cavity 8 of the outer housing 2.

[0034] A cooling device for cooling the inside of the cooler 1 is provided on the outside of the outer casing 2. Frozen An apparatus 5 is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigeration device 5 has a compressor 50, a condenser 51, an expansion means 52, and an evaporator 53, which are connected in a ring shape by piping 55, and a phase-changing refrigerant is sealed inside. By driving the compressor 50, the gaseous refrigerant is compressed, and the refrigerant is cooled and liquefied in the condenser 51. The liquid refrigerant then passes through the expansion means 52 and enters the evaporator 53, where it vaporizes. At that time, it absorbs heat of vaporization, lowering the surface temperature of the evaporator 53. The vaporized refrigerant returns to the compressor 50 and is compressed again.

[0035] In this embodiment, the refrigeration device 5 is divided into two areas as shown in Fig. 4. That is, the compressor 50, the condenser 51, and the expansion means 52 of the refrigeration device 5 are arranged in a machine box 57, and the evaporator 53 is arranged alone in a housing member 60. In addition, a blower 56 is provided below the evaporator 53. The storage member 60 is a box with an open bottom and is made of a heat insulating material. In the housing member 60, the evaporator 53 and the blower 56 are placed to one side as shown in FIG.

[0036] The closing plate (opening / closing means) 6 is a rectangular plate made of a heat insulating material. The closing plate (opening / closing means) 6 is attached to an opening (insulated housing side opening) 31 provided in the top wall 22 of the heat insulating housing 3, and the shape and size of the closing plate 6 are approximately the same as those of the opening (insulated housing side opening) 31 provided in the top wall 22 of the heat insulating housing 3. The thickness of the closing plate 6 is approximately equal to the thickness of the top wall 22 of the heat insulating housing 3. The closure plate 6 is provided on three side surfaces 38 with ridges 36 extending in the longitudinal direction.

[0037] Next, the positional relationship of each member constituting cooler 1 will be described. In the cooler 1 of this embodiment, a heat-insulating housing 3 is built inside a main body box 11 of an outer housing 2. Here, since the outer width A of the insulating housing 3 is smaller than the inner width B of the hollow portion 8 of the outer housing 2, there are spaces 63a and 63b between the inner side surfaces 61a and 61b of the outer housing 2 and the outer side surfaces 62a and 62b of the insulating housing 3, respectively. Since the external dimension depth C of the heat-insulating housing 3 is smaller than the depth D of the cavity 8 of the outer housing 2 , there is also a space 67 between the inner back surface 65 of the outer housing 2 and the outer back surface 66 of the heat-insulating housing 3 . In this embodiment, the heat-insulating housing 3 is disposed slightly behind the opening on the front side of the outer housing 2. Since the height E of the heat-insulating housing 3 is equal to the height F of the cavity 8 of the outer housing 2, the top wall 22 of the heat-insulating housing 3 and the ceiling surface 70 of the cavity 8 of the outer housing 2 are in close contact with each other. Further, the opening (outer shell side opening) 21 provided in the top wall 12 of the outer shell 2 and the opening (insulated shell side opening) 31 provided in the top wall 22 of the insulating shell 3 mostly coincide with each other and communicate with each other.

[0038] The heat-insulating housing 3 is fixed in the hollow portion 8 of the outer housing 2 by temporary fastening elements such as screws (not shown).

[0039] The refrigeration device 5 is placed on the outside of the outer casing 2, on the top wall 12. The accommodating member 60 that accommodates the refrigeration device 5 is installed on the top wall 12 of the outer casing 2 in a position that covers an opening (outer casing side opening) 21 provided in the top wall 12. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the inside of the accommodating member 60 and the inside of the insulated housing 3 are connected via an opening (outer housing side opening) 21 provided in the top wall 12 of the outer housing 2 and an opening (insulated housing side opening) 31 provided in the top wall 22 of the insulated housing 3, via a communication section 72. However, the closure plate (opening / closing means) 6 is removable, and when the closure plate 6 is attached to the opening (insulated housing side opening) 31 on the insulated housing 3 side, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the communication section 72 is sealed off, and communication between the inside of the storage member 60 and the inside of the insulated housing 3 is blocked, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

[0040] As described above, the shape and size of the closing plate 6 are approximately the same as those of the opening 31 (the opening on the thermally insulated housing side) provided in the top wall 22 of the thermally insulated housing 3 . 6, three side surfaces 38 of the closing plate 6 are provided with protruding strips 36 extending in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, a vertical wall 37 of the opening (opening on the thermally insulated housing side) 31 provided in the top wall 22 is provided with a groove 40 extending in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the closure plate 6 can be attached to the opening 31 by engaging the longitudinally extending protrusions 36 on the three sides 38 of the closure plate 6 with the grooves 40 of the opening 31 and pushing the closure plate 6 toward the back of the opening 31. Furthermore, by pulling the closing plate 6, the closing plate 6 slides along the groove 40, and the closing plate 6 can be removed from the opening 31.

[0041] 6(b), the convex strip 36 of the closing plate 6 fits into the groove 40 of the opening 31. Therefore, in the top wall 22 of the thermally insulated housing 3, the only space communicating between the inside and outside is the gap between the vertical wall 37 of the opening 31 and the side surface 38 of the closing plate 6. In this embodiment, since the joint surface between the closure plate 6 and the opening 31 is an uneven surface, the distance connecting the inside of the accommodating member 60 and the inside of the insulated housing 3 is effectively longer, the thermal resistance increases, and the amount of heat dissipation between the inside of the accommodating member 60 and the inside of the insulated housing 3 decreases. In this embodiment, the closure plate 6 has one protruding strip 36 on each of the three side surfaces 38 and one groove 40 on the opening 31 side, but there may be more stripes. Also, the closure plate 6 may have a groove and a protruding strip on the opening 31 side.

[0042] Within the accommodating member 60, the evaporator 53 and the blower 56 are disposed off to one side as shown in FIG. 3, so that the evaporator 53 and the blower 56 are positioned off to one side from the center of the communication portion 72.

[0043] 4, the opening at the front of the outer casing 2 is sealed. That is, the main body 75 of the door 10 contacts the edge of the opening at the front of the outer casing 2, sealing the inside of the outer casing 2. Furthermore, when the door 10 is closed, the protrusion 73 of the door 10 comes into contact with the edge of the opening on the front side of the thermally insulated housing 3, sealing the inside of the thermally insulated housing 3. In this manner, in this embodiment, the protrusion 73 of the door 10 functions as a door for the thermally insulated housing 3.

[0044] Next, how to use the cooler 1 will be described. The cool storage 1 of this embodiment is used for transporting objects that need to be cooled, such as vaccines. For example, as a preparation process for transporting the objects that need to be cooled, a cool storage material cooling process for cooling the cool storage material 41 in the cool storage 1 is performed. Cold storage material cooling process in For example, the cooler is placed inside a house such as a warehouse, and the closing plate (opening / closing means) 6 is removed from the opening (insulated housing side opening) 31 on the insulated housing 3 side to open the communication part 72, thereby connecting the inside of the storage member 60 to the inside of the insulated housing 3. In this state, the refrigeration device 5 and the blower 56 are driven.

[0045] As a result, the surface temperature of the evaporator 53 decreases. In addition, air is circulated between the inside of the storage member 60 and the inside of the heat-insulating housing 3 by the blower 56, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the evaporator 53 and the blower 56 are located to one side from the center of the communication part 72, so that the air blown by the blower 56 passes through the position to one side from the center of the communication part 72 as shown by the arrow and enters the inside of the insulated housing 3. The air inside the heat-insulating housing 3 passes through a position closer to the other side of the communication portion 72 and returns to the containing member 60, and is sucked into the evaporator 53 by the suction force of the blower 56 and cooled.

[0046] In this embodiment, air flows between the inside of the accommodating member 60 and the inside of the thermally insulated housing 3 through the communication part 72. That is, the air inside the accommodating member 60 passes through a position on one side of the center of the communication part 72 and enters the inside of the thermally insulated housing 3, and the air inside the thermally insulated housing 3 returns to the accommodating member 60 by passing through a position on the other side of the communication part 72. Therefore, the outgoing and returning air come into contact and exchange heat between them within one communication portion 72. As a result, the cold heat is prevented from being transferred to the outside, and the cold heat is less likely to be wasted.

[0047] When the cold storage material 41 is sufficiently cooled, the door 10 is opened and the object to be cooled is placed in the object storage space 43 of the heat-insulating housing 3 . Before or after this work, the refrigeration device 5 is stopped, and a shutoff step is carried out in which the closing plate (opening / closing means) 6 is attached to the opening (insulated housing side opening) 31 on the thermally insulated housing 3 side to close the communication part 72. By the blocking step, the communication part 72 is closed, and the communication between the inside of the storage member 60 and the inside of the heat-insulating housing 3 is blocked. In this state, the cooler 1 is pushed and placed onto a vehicle such as a truck or a container. The vehicle is then driven to transport the items requiring refrigeration, such as vaccines, to their destination.

[0048] During transportation, the inside of the heat-insulating housing 3 is kept at a low temperature by the internal cold storage material 41. That is, the object to be cooled, such as a vaccine, is inside the heat-insulating housing 3. The heat-insulating housing 3 is accommodated in the hollow portion 8 of the outer housing 2, and the outer housing 2 also has a considerable heat insulation property. Furthermore, there is a space between the outer housing 2 and the heat-insulating housing 3. 63a, 63b, 67 There is a space 63a, 63b, 67 There is an air layer. Therefore, the external heat is blocked by the outer casing 2 and further insulated by the air layer, so the outside of the insulated casing 3 is hardly affected by the external heat. Furthermore, the object to be cooled is placed in a position surrounded by the cold storage material 41 inside the insulated casing 3. Therefore, the temperature of the object to be cooled is kept low.

[0049] On the other hand, since the refrigeration device 5 is stopped, the refrigerant does not evaporate in the evaporator 53, and the evaporator 53 has no cooling capacity. Therefore, heat is conducted from the outside through the piping 55, and the temperature of the evaporator 53 gradually rises. However, a closure plate (opening / closing means) 6 is attached to the opening (insulated housing side opening) 31 on the insulated housing 3 side, the communication portion 72 is closed, and the interior of the storage member 60 is isolated from the interior of the insulated housing 3. Therefore, even if the surface temperature of the evaporator 53 rises, it has little effect on the inside of the heat-insulating housing 3. As a result, the temperature of the object to be cooled is kept low for a long period of time.

[0050] The cooler 1 of this embodiment can be carried in a vehicle without a power source. It can also maintain a low temperature inside even in places without a power source. thing Even if the evaporator 53 is transported to a place where there is no power source, the inside of the evaporator 53 can be kept at a low temperature. Moreover, since the inside of the housing member 60 housing the evaporator 53 is isolated from the inside of the heat-insulating housing 3, the amount of heat-insulating material required to maintain a low temperature can be reduced compared to when the evaporator and the heat-insulating material are placed in the same space. The cool storage 1 of this embodiment does not require refilling of the cold storage material, and is easy to operate. The cooler 1 of this embodiment has a double structure consisting of an outer casing 2 and an insulated casing 3, and there is an air layer between the outer casing 2 and the insulated casing 3, so that the heat insulation performance is high, the influence of outside air can be minimized, and the cooling time can be extended. Since the cooler 1 of this embodiment has a structure separated into the outer casing 2 and the insulating casing 3, the outer casing 2 ensures rigidity, and the insulating casing 3 ensures high thermal insulation. In the cool storage 1 of this embodiment, the refrigeration device 5 and the blower 56 are driven with the communication part 72 open, so that the internal cold storage material 41 can be efficiently cooled. Also, by closing the communication part 72, heat radiation can be suppressed. The cool storage 1 of this embodiment can cool the cold storage material 41 and keep the object to be cooled cold by the cold storage material 41 by itself. The cooler 1 of the present embodiment is highly efficient in maintaining low temperatures, which contributes to energy saving and ultimately reduces carbon dioxide emissions. The size of the cool storage 1 and the amount of the cold storage material 41 to be stored therein are arbitrary, and the design can be made according to the application.

[0051] When the cooler 1 is used for a long period of time, each part may deteriorate. In the cooler 1 of this embodiment, the insulated housing 3 is made of vacuum insulation material. Although the vacuum insulation material has high insulation performance, if it is damaged, the degree of vacuum inside may decrease, and the insulation performance may also decrease. Therefore, it is desirable to replace the insulated housing 3 periodically. In this embodiment, the heat-insulating housing 3 is fixed in the hollow portion 8 of the outer housing 2 with screws or the like, and can be easily removed by removing the screws or the like. Furthermore, spaces 63a, 63b, and 67 are provided between the heat-insulating housing 3 and the outer housing 2. This allows the heat-insulating housing 3 to be easily removed.

[0052] In the cooler 1 of this embodiment, the air inside the storage member 60 and the air inside the insulated housing 3 come and go through one communication part 72. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the communication passage on the forward side and the communication passage on the return side may be separate.

[0053] A sensor may be provided to detect when the closing plate (opening / closing means) 6 is closed. Also, safety measures may be taken, such as automatically stopping the refrigeration device 5 when the closing plate 6 is closed, or displaying a message urging the user to stop the refrigeration device 5.

[0054] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the opening and closing means is plate-shaped and is slid to attach and detach, but it may be a swinging opening and closing means such as a damper. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the opening and closing means is removable, but it may also be non-removable and open and close the communication part 72 by moving or changing its position. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the opening and closing means is operated by power. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the plate-shaped opening and closing means is fitted into the top wall 22 of the heat-insulating housing 3. means The mounting position is not limited to the heat-insulating casing 3. For example, an opening (outer shell side opening) 21 provided in the top wall 12 of the outer shell housing 2 is means The inside of the storage member 60 or the inside of the heat-insulating housing 3 may be fitted with an opening and closing mechanism. means There may be.

[0055] In the cooler 1 described above, door 10 has a square protrusion 73, which comes into contact with the edge of the front opening of the insulated housing 3 to seal the inside of the insulated housing 3. In the cooler 1 described above, the surface of protrusion 73 abuts against the edge of the front opening of the insulated housing 3, but protrusion 73 may be inserted into the insulated housing 3 to close the front opening of the insulated housing 3. It is also possible to omit the rectangular projection 73 of the door 10 and have the main body 75 of the door 10 directly contact the edge of the front opening of the thermally insulated housing 3 to seal the inside of the thermally insulated housing 3. When this configuration is adopted, it is preferable to have a layout in which the front opening of the thermally insulated housing 3 and the front opening of the main box 11 are on the same plane.

[0056] The cool storage 1 described above has a double structure having an insulating housing 3 inside the outer housing 2, and a cooling material holding section 42 The heat-insulating housing 3 is provided with a closure plate (opening / closing means) 6, and an accommodation space (item accommodation space 43) for accommodating an object to be cooled is also formed. The cooler 1 described above has a double structure composed of the outer casing 2 and the insulated casing 3, but it may have a single-layer structure insulated only by the outer casing 2. When a single-layer structure using the outer casing 2 is adopted, the opening / closing means is attached to the opening (outer casing side opening) 21. As a modified example of the cooler, the cooler may have a single-layer structure consisting of only the insulated housing 3 of the above-described embodiment. In this case, the insulated housing 3 of the above-described embodiment functions as the outer housing of the present invention. In the case of a single-layer structure consisting of the insulated housing 3, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the insulated housing 3. Furthermore, it may have a multi-layer structure. It is not essential that all of the spaces 63a, 63b, and 67 exist between the outer housing 2 and the heat-insulating housing 3. Moreover, the spaces 63a, 63b, and 67 between the outer housing 2 and the heat-insulating housing 3 may be omitted entirely. The top wall 22 of the heat-insulating housing 3 and the ceiling surface 70 of the cavity 8 of the outer housing 2 may be spaced apart.

[0057] In the cooler 1 described above, the entire refrigeration device 5 is placed on the top wall 12 of the outer casing 2, but a part or the entirety of the refrigeration device 5 may be placed in another location. For example, only the accommodating member 60 of the refrigeration device 5 may be placed on the top wall 12 of the outer casing 2 , and the other devices may be placed on the back side of the outer casing 2 . Furthermore, the accommodating member 60 for the refrigeration device 5 may be placed on the lower or rear surface side of the outer casing 2 .

[0058] The cooler 1 of the embodiment described above has an outer casing 2 and a refrigeration device 5, and a storage member 60 which is a space in which an evaporator 53 is placed. Inside The inside of the heat-insulating housing 3 or the inside of the outer housing 2 , which is the area in which the cold storage material 41 is placed, communicates with each other through a communication part 72 , and a closing plate 6 is provided as an opening / closing means for opening and closing the communication part 72 . In the cooler 1 described above, there is a space outside the outer casing 2 in which the evaporator 53 is placed, but there may be a space inside the insulated casing 3 or the outer casing 2 in which the evaporator 53 is placed. A cooler having an evaporator 53 disposed inside the outer casing 2 is, for example, as follows. The cooler having this configuration is, for example, a cooler equipped with an outer casing and a refrigeration device having an evaporator, and a partition is provided inside the outer casing to separate the space where the evaporator is placed from an area where the cold storage material is placed. and There is a communication part between the areas where the cooling material is placed, and the communication part is provided with an opening and closing means. In the refrigerator having this configuration, a partition is provided between the space in which the evaporator is placed and the area in which the cold storage material is placed, and a communication part is formed in the partition. Also, there is an opening and closing means for opening and closing the communication part. It is preferable that the partition is a heat-insulating wall.

[0059] A cool storage unit having an evaporator 53 disposed inside a heat-insulating housing is, for example, as follows. A cool storage unit having this configuration is, for example, a cool storage unit having an additional heat-insulating housing inside an external housing, and a partition is provided inside the heat-insulating housing to separate the space in which the evaporator is placed from an area in which the cold storage material is placed. and There is a communication part between the areas where the cooling material is placed, and the communication part is provided with an opening and closing means. In the refrigerator of this configuration, a partition is provided between the space in which the evaporator is placed and the area in which the cold storage material is placed, and a communication part is formed in the partition. Also, there is an opening and closing means for opening and closing the communication part. It is preferable that the partition is a heat-insulating wall. Even in the case of a cool storage having the above-described configuration in which the evaporator 53 is disposed inside the outer casing 2 or the heat-insulating casing, it is possible to adopt a usage method similar to that of the cool storage 1 of the above-described embodiment. That is, with the opening / closing means open, the refrigeration device is driven to cool the cold storage material by the evaporator, and the refrigeration device is stopped and the opening / closing means is closed, allowing the cool storage to be moved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Refrigerator 2 Outer casing 3. Insulated housing 5. Refrigeration equipment 6 Closing plate (opening / closing means) 12 Top wall 21 Opening (outer opening) 22 Top wall 31 Opening (opening on the thermal insulation housing side) 36 Convex strip 40 grooves 41 Cold storage material 42 Cold storage material holding part 43 Storage space 53 Evaporator 56 Blower 60 Storage material 63a, 63b, 67 space 72 Communication part

Claims

1. The cooling system includes an outer casing that defines an accommodation space for accommodating an object to be cooled therein, and a refrigeration device. A cold storage material holding section that holds a cold storage material is provided in the outer casing, The refrigeration device has an evaporator and a housing member that houses the evaporator, the housing member is disposed outside the outer casing, a space within the housing member communicates with a housing space within the outer casing through a communication part, and an opening / closing means is provided for opening and closing the communication part; A cool storage container further comprising an insulating housing inside the outer housing, the cooling material holding section being arranged inside the insulating housing and the storage space being formed inside the insulating housing, and the opening / closing means being provided in the insulating housing.

2. an outer shell side opening is provided in a top wall of the outer shell housing, an insulating housing side opening is provided in the top wall of the insulating housing, and an inner surface of the outer shell housing and a top surface of the insulating housing are in contact with each other; The housing member is installed on the outer casing, The cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that the space within the storage member and the storage space formed within the insulated housing are connected via the outer shell side opening and the insulated housing side opening, thereby forming the communication portion.

3. 2. The cooler according to claim 1, wherein a space is provided between an inner surface of the outer casing and at least one of the outer surfaces of the heat-insulating casing.

4. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing means is a detachable and / or movable closing plate.

5. The closing plate is inserted into the communication portion to close the communication portion, 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein a contact surface between the closure plate and the communication portion has an uneven shape.

6. A method for transporting items requiring cooling using a refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a cooling material cooling process in which the cooling box is placed at a predetermined position, the opening / closing means is opened, and the refrigeration device is driven to cause air cooled by the evaporator to flow into the storage space and cool the cooling material; a shutoff step of shutting off the refrigeration device and closing the opening and closing means; A method for transporting items requiring cooling, comprising carrying out a moving step of moving the cooler.

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