Cold chain transport case

Abstract

An inner cavity of a box body of the cold chain transport box is divided into a refrigerant cavity and a storage cavity located above the refrigerant cavity through a middle plate in the box body, a refrigerant steel pipe is horizontally arranged in the refrigerant cavity, and a cold air driving mechanism is arranged in the refrigerant steel pipe; the cold air driving mechanism comprises a piston arranged in the refrigerant steel pipe in a sliding mode and an opening and closing device arranged in the piston, and a refrigerant area used for containing ice bags is formed in the space between the refrigerant steel pipe and the inner wall of the refrigerant cavity. Cold air pipes are installed in the opposite side walls of the box body, the upper ends of the cold air pipes on the two sides communicate with the storage cavity, and the lower ends communicate with the two ends of the refrigerant steel pipe correspondingly; the piston can slide in the refrigerant steel pipe in a reciprocating mode and feed cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe into the storage cavity through the cold air pipe. Product scratching or frostbite caused by direct contact of the ice bags can be avoided, and the product quality is guaranteed; and the cold air driving mechanism in the refrigerant steel pipe is used for enabling air in the storage cavity to flow, so that the uniformity of the temperature in the storage cavity is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a cold chain transport box. Background Art

[0002] At present, in order to ensure the quality of fresh agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables after long-distance transportation, cold chain transportation has become necessary. The use of low temperature to preserve the quality of fresh agricultural products and avoid or reduce their rotting and deterioration has become an essential part of modern life.

[0003] Cold chain transport boxes are an essential component of cold chain transportation. Currently, the boxes are generally made of foam materials and use ice packs for cooling and cold preservation. Ice packs are usually mixed with fresh products to cool the incoming products. However, during transportation, due to the inevitable shaking of the transport vehicles, the edges of the ice packs can scratch the parts of the products that come into direct contact with them, and can also cause frostbite to some products, affecting product quality. In addition, to facilitate loading and unloading, ice packs are usually placed at the bottom layer, resulting in the temperature of the top layer being higher than that of the bottom layer. This makes it impossible to evenly cool the products in the cold box, resulting in poor product quality uniformity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems of scratches and frostbite caused by direct contact between ice packs and products, the present application proposes a cold chain transport box, which includes a box body, an intermediate plate fixedly arranged in the inner cavity of the box body, the intermediate plate dividing the inner cavity of the box body into a storage cavity and a refrigerant cavity in the upper and lower directions, wherein the storage cavity is located above the refrigerant cavity; a refrigerant steel pipe extending in a first direction is arranged in the refrigerant cavity, and a cold air driving mechanism is arranged in the refrigerant steel pipe, the cold air driving mechanism including a piston slidably arranged in the refrigerant steel pipe and an opening and closing device arranged in the piston, the piston being able to freely reciprocate in the refrigerant steel pipe along the first direction, and the space between the refrigerant steel pipe and the inner wall of the refrigerant cavity forming a refrigerant area for placing ice packs;

[0005] Cold air pipes are installed in the side walls on both sides of the first direction of the box, the cold air pipe in the side wall on one side is called the first cold air pipe, and the cold air pipe in the side wall on the other side is called the second cold air pipe; the upper ends of the cold air pipes are connected to the storage cavity, the lower end of the first cold air pipe is connected to one end of the refrigerant steel pipe, and the lower end of the second cold air pipe is connected to the other end of the refrigerant steel pipe; when the piston moves back and forth in the refrigerant steel pipe along the first direction, the cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe can be sent into the storage cavity through the cold air pipe; the first direction and the second direction both extend horizontally and are perpendicular to each other.

[0006] When the cold chain transport box of this application is used, the products to be transported are first placed on the middle plate, and then the box is sealed. Ice packs are placed into the refrigerant area, and the refrigerant cavity is closed. Inside the refrigerant cavity, the ice packs cool the air inside the refrigerant steel pipe.

[0007] During transportation of the cold chain transport box, road bumps and the acceleration or deceleration of the transport vehicle can cause the piston to reciprocate in the first direction. As the piston reciprocates within the refrigerant steel pipe, it pushes the cold air within the refrigerant steel pipe into the storage chamber through one of the first and second cold air pipes, and allows the air in the storage chamber to enter the refrigerant steel pipe through the other of the first and second cold air pipes. This allows the air in the storage chamber to enter the refrigerant steel pipe for cooling before returning to the storage chamber.

[0008] Because the product and ice pack are placed in the storage chamber and refrigerant chamber, respectively, direct contact between the ice pack and the product is avoided, thereby preventing scratches or frostbite from direct contact with the product, thus ensuring product quality. Since the cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe primarily enters the top of the storage chamber through one cooling pipe, then flows downward and returns to the refrigerant steel pipe through another cooling pipe, temperature uniformity within the storage chamber is ensured. Of course, the thermal conductivity of the intermediate plate can also transfer some of the cooling energy from the refrigerant chamber to the storage chamber.

[0009] Furthermore, to increase the amount of cold air exchanged, at least two refrigerant steel pipes are disposed within the refrigerant chamber, spaced apart along the second direction. The spacing of the refrigerant steel pipes allows the cold air generated by the ice pack to quickly flow around the refrigerant steel pipes, cooling the air within them. Furthermore, because the ice packs are in direct contact with the refrigerant steel pipes, they can rapidly cool the air within them.

[0010] Furthermore, to facilitate communication between the first and second cooling pipes and the refrigerant steel pipes, a collecting cavity extending in the second direction is formed on both sides of the refrigerant cavity in the first direction. Each refrigerant steel pipe, facing the same end, is connected to a collecting cavity. The first and second cooling pipes are each connected to the refrigerant steel pipes through a collecting cavity. Specifically, the collecting cavity is formed by C-shaped steel or channel steel embedded in the side wall of the box.

[0011] Specifically, the opening and closing device includes an air guide hole provided on the piston, the air guide hole passing through both ends of the piston along a first direction, and along the first direction, the air guide hole includes an air intake section, an expanded diameter section, a sliding section and a threaded section connected in sequence, a hollow externally threaded nut being screwed onto the internal thread of the threaded section, and a guide tube extending along the first direction being provided at one end of the hollow externally threaded nut facing the air intake section; an air guide cylinder is located in the air guide hole, an end of the air guide cylinder facing the hollow externally threaded nut being an open end, and an end of the air guide cylinder facing the air intake section being a closed end, the air guide cylinder being sleeved on the guide tube through its open end and being able to freely reciprocate in the air guide hole along the first direction; an air intake hole is provided on the cylinder wall of one end of the air guide cylinder facing the closed end;

[0012] When the gas cylinder moves freely back and forth along the first direction, the open end can be pressed against the hollow externally threaded nut, and the closed end can be sealed against the side of the air inlet section facing the threaded section, and when the gas cylinder moves freely back and forth along the first direction, the air inlet hole is always connected outward to the inner cavity of the expanded diameter section.

[0013] The inner diameter of the expanded section is larger than the inner diameters of the air intake section, the sliding section and the threaded section.

[0014] In this application, no elastic member is provided in the opening and closing device for pressing the air guide cylinder against the side of the air intake section facing the threaded section, so that when the piston is in a stationary state, the air guide cylinder can stay at any position between the air intake section and the threaded section.

[0015] When the vehicle transporting the cold chain transport box shakes, the piston can move in the refrigerant steel pipe, thereby causing the air guide cylinder to move in the air guide hole, and the air guide hole can be closed or opened to push the cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe into the storage cavity, causing the air in the storage cavity and the refrigerant steel pipe to flow, thereby delivering the coldness of the ice bag into the storage cavity.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to improve the sealing performance of the air guide cylinder when the air guide hole is closed, a step surface facing the threaded section is provided between the air intake section and the expanded diameter section, and a circular line is formed at the intersection of the step surface and the inner circumferential surface of the air intake section; the closed end of the air guide cylinder has a conical head with the large end facing the threaded section, and a part of the conical head can extend into the air intake section and make the outer circumferential surface of the conical head rest against the circular line to form a line contact seal.

[0017] Furthermore, to improve temperature uniformity within the storage chamber, the air inlet section is oriented in a first direction toward the first cooling air pipe, while the threaded section is oriented toward the second cooling air pipe. The upper end of the first cooling air pipe is connected to the bottom of the storage chamber, while the upper end of the second cooling air pipe is connected to the top of the storage chamber. With this design, air flows between the storage chamber and the refrigerant steel pipe primarily in the following manner: air at the bottom of the storage chamber enters the refrigerant steel pipe via the first cooling air pipe, and air in the refrigerant steel pipe enters the top of the storage chamber via the second cooling air pipe, creating a downward flow within the storage chamber.

[0018] Specifically, the middle plate is a porous plate with several water-permeable holes extending through the upper and lower sides of the middle plate. These holes allow condensed water generated in the storage chamber to flow into the refrigerant chamber, thereby reducing contact between condensed water and the product and maintaining product quality.

[0019] Furthermore, to reduce the likelihood of condensed water coming into contact with the product in the storage chamber, the upper end of the water hole is conical with the smaller end facing downward. To reduce the contact surface between the intermediate plate and the product, in a specific embodiment, the intermediate plate can also be made of corrugated sheet material with water holes formed therein, thereby reducing contact between residual moisture on the intermediate plate and the product.

[0020] Furthermore, a sponge is attached to the lower surface of the middle plate. The absorbency of the sponge is utilized to quickly reduce the condensed water generated in the storage cavity, thereby reducing or avoiding the amount of condensed water remaining in the storage cavity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the accompanying figure.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of the cooling air drive mechanism, with the air guide holes in the closed state.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the state when the air guide holes of the cooling drive mechanism are open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the direction of the arrow X in the accompanying drawings represents the first direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction and the second direction both extend in the horizontal direction.

[0026] A cold chain transport box includes a box body 11. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the box body is rectangular. An intermediate plate 112 is fixedly installed in the inner cavity of the box body 11. The intermediate plate 112 is arranged horizontally, dividing the inner cavity of the box body 11 into a storage cavity 101 and a refrigerant cavity 102 in the vertical direction, wherein the storage cavity 101 is located above the refrigerant cavity 102. Four refrigerant steel pipes 31 extending along a first direction are arranged in the refrigerant cavity 102, and the four refrigerant steel pipes are arranged at intervals along a second direction. In this application, there is no specific limit on the number of refrigerant steel pipes, and they can be arranged according to the specific settings.

[0027] A cold air driving mechanism is provided in each refrigerant steel pipe 31, and the cold air driving mechanism includes a piston 41 slidingly arranged in the refrigerant steel pipe and an opening and closing device 40 arranged in the piston, so that the piston can freely reciprocate in the refrigerant steel pipe along the first direction. The space between the refrigerant steel pipe and the inner wall of the refrigerant cavity is formed as a refrigerant area 103 for placing ice bags. The ice bags are not shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Cooling pipes are fixedly installed in the side walls 111 on both sides of the first direction of the box body 11. For ease of description, the side walls on both sides of the first direction are referred to as the first side wall and the second side wall, respectively. The cooling pipe located in the first side wall is referred to as the first cooling pipe 22, and the cooling pipe located in the second side wall is referred to as the second cooling pipe 23. There are multiple first cooling pipes and second cooling pipes, and each first cooling pipe is arranged at intervals along the second direction, and each second cooling pipe is arranged at intervals along the second direction. The first upper end 221 of the first cooling pipe and the second upper end 231 of the second cooling pipe are both connected to the storage cavity 101. The first lower end 222 of the first cooling pipe is connected to one end of the refrigerant steel pipe, and the second lower end 232 of the second cooling pipe is connected to the other end of the refrigerant steel pipe.

[0029] In this embodiment, a collecting chamber is provided on both sides of the refrigerant chamber in the first direction. Both collecting chambers extend along the second direction. For ease of description, the two collecting chambers are referred to as the first collecting chamber 321 and the second collecting chamber 322, respectively. The first collecting chamber 321 is located on the side adjacent to the first sidewall, and the second collecting chamber 322 is located on the side adjacent to the second sidewall. Both collecting chambers are formed by channel steel 32 embedded in the sidewall of the box. The channel steel is provided with a connecting hole 33 for connecting the refrigerant steel pipes.

[0030] The first lower end of the first cold air pipe 22 is connected to the first collecting cavity 321, and the second lower end of the second cold air pipe 23 is connected to the second collecting cavity 322. That is, the first cold air pipe and the second cold air pipe are connected to the refrigerant steel pipe through a collecting cavity respectively.

[0031] To facilitate the installation of the refrigerant steel pipe, a tongue-and-groove steel pipe 34 is provided on the side of the two channel steels facing the refrigerant steel pipe, corresponding to each refrigerant steel pipe. Both ends of the refrigerant steel pipe have a tongue and groove that is adapted to the tongue and groove of the tongue and groove steel pipe. The refrigerant steel pipe is connected to the tongue and groove steel pipe through the tongue and groove, and glass glue 35 is applied at the joint between the tongue and groove steel pipe and the refrigerant steel pipe to seal the gap between the tongue and groove steel pipe and the refrigerant steel pipe. When the refrigerant steel pipe needs to be replaced, only the glass glue needs to be peeled off. The tongue and groove steel pipe can also be replaced with a threaded steel pipe, and the refrigerant steel pipe can be connected to the threaded steel pipe using oil. It is understood that in another embodiment, C-shaped steel can also be used instead of the channel steel.

[0032] See also Figure 3 In this embodiment, the opening and closing device 40 includes an air guide hole 42 provided on the piston, and the air guide hole 42 passes through both ends of the piston along the first direction. Along the first direction, the air guide hole includes an air intake section 421, an expanded diameter section 422, a sliding section 423 and a threaded section 424 connected in sequence, among which the inner diameter of the expanded diameter section 422 is the largest, that is, the inner diameter of the expanded diameter section 422 is larger than the inner diameters of the air intake section, the sliding section and the threaded section.

[0033] The hollow externally threaded nut 44 is screwed onto the internal thread of the threaded section. A guide tube 441 extending along the first direction is formed at one end of the hollow externally threaded nut 44 facing the air intake section. In this embodiment, the guide tube 441 and the hollow externally threaded nut 44 are an integrated structure.

[0034] The air guide cylinder 43 is located in the air guide hole. The end of the air guide cylinder 43 facing the hollow external threaded nut is an open end, and the end of the air guide cylinder facing the air inlet section is a closed end 431. The air guide cylinder is mounted on the guide tube through its open end and can move freely back and forth in the air guide hole along the first direction; an air inlet hole 432 is provided on the cylinder wall of the end of the air guide cylinder facing the closed end.

[0035] There is a step surface 425 between the air intake section and the expanded diameter section, facing the threaded section. The intersection of this step surface and the inner circumference of the air intake section forms a circular line 426. The closed end of the air guide cylinder has a conical head with the larger end facing the threaded section. When the air guide cylinder freely moves back and forth in the first direction, the open end can press against the hollow externally threaded nut. The conical head can partially extend into the air intake section and make the outer circumference of the conical head press against the circular line, forming a line contact seal. When the outer circumference of the conical head presses against the circular line, the air guide hole is in a closed state. Figure 3 The air duct in the device is in closed state.

[0036] No elastic member is provided within the opening and closing mechanism to press the gas cylinder against the circular line, so that when the piston is at rest, the gas cylinder can remain at any position between the gas inlet section 421 and the threaded section. When the gas cylinder freely reciprocates in the first direction, the gas inlet hole is always connected outwardly to the inner cavity of the expanded diameter section.

[0037] See also Figure 4 When the conical head of the gas cylinder leaves the circular line, the gas hole is in an open state, and the air on one side of the piston can enter the expanded diameter section 422 through the air intake section, and then enter the inner cavity of the gas cylinder through the air intake hole 432, and then enter the other side of the piston through the guide tube 441 and the inner cavity of the hollow external threaded nut 44 in turn.

[0038] In this embodiment, in the first direction, the air inlet section faces the first cold air pipe, the threaded section faces the second cold air pipe, the first upper end 221 of the first cold air pipe is connected to the bottom of the storage cavity, and the second upper end 231 of the second cold air pipe is connected to the top of the storage cavity.

[0039] To prevent condensation generated within the storage chamber from soaking the products within the storage chamber and affecting product quality, in this embodiment, the intermediate plate 112 is a porous plate with a plurality of water-permeable holes 113 provided on the intermediate plate 112. The water-permeable holes 113 extend through the upper and lower sides of the intermediate plate. The upper ends of the water-permeable holes are conical with the smaller ends facing downward, and a sponge 114 is adhered to the lower surface of the intermediate plate. Condensation within the storage chamber can flow through the water-permeable holes into the refrigerant chamber. The sponge's water absorption capacity allows it to quickly absorb the condensation entering the water-permeable holes, thereby reducing the amount of residual moisture on the upper surface of the intermediate plate and minimizing the impact of condensation on the products. It is understood that to reduce the contact area between the product and the intermediate plate, thereby reducing the contact between residual moisture on the intermediate plate and the product, the intermediate plate can also be made of a corrugated plate with water-permeable holes provided on the corrugated plate.

[0040] A top cover 12 is mounted on the top of the box, one end of which is hinged to the box. A clamping block 15 is provided at the end of the top cover away from the hinge. A buckle 14 is provided on the box corresponding to the clamping block and can be locked with the clamping block. The buckle and the clamping block can be made using existing mature technology.

[0041] A side opening is provided on the side wall corresponding to the refrigerant cavity. The side opening is located on one side of the second direction, and a side door 13 is installed on the side opening. The side door 13 can be sealed and covered on the side opening.

[0042] To use the container, first open the top cover, place the product to be transported on the middle plate, and secure the top cover securely to the top of the container using the clips and buckles. Open the side door, place an ice pack into the refrigerant area, and then seal the side door over the side opening. Inside the refrigerant chamber, the ice pack cools the air inside the refrigerant steel pipe.

[0043] When the cold chain transport box is being transported by a vehicle, the bumps of the road and the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle itself can cause the piston to move back and forth in the first direction. When the piston moves toward the second cold air pipe 23, the air guide tube will be sealed against the step surface, squeezing the cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe along the second cold air pipe to the top of the storage cavity. Due to the movement of the piston, a negative pressure is formed in the refrigerant steel pipe on the side of the piston toward the first cold air pipe, which can cause the air at the bottom of the storage cavity to enter the refrigerant steel pipe along the first cold air pipe and reduce the temperature under the action of the ice pack.

[0044] When the piston moves toward the first cold air pipe 22, due to the effect of inertia, the air guide tube will move toward the threaded section 424, causing the air guide tube to leave the step surface, so that the gas on both sides of the piston is connected. Of course, under the push of the piston, a small amount of cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe will still enter the storage chamber through the first cold air pipe 22. This is repeated, so that the air in the storage chamber can enter the refrigerant steel pipe, be cooled by the ice bag, and then return to the storage chamber. This avoids direct contact between the ice bag and the product, avoids scratches or frostbite caused by direct contact between the ice bag and the product, and ensures the quality of the product. Since the cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe mainly enters the top of the storage chamber through the second cold air pipe, then flows downward, and then returns to the refrigerant steel pipe through the first cold air pipe, the uniformity of the temperature in the storage chamber is guaranteed. Since the piston in this application is in a stationary state, the air guide cylinder can stay at any position between the air intake section and the threaded section, reducing its opening power. Only a small amount of shaking of the transport vehicle is required to open or close the air guide hole when the piston moves.

Claims

1. A cold chain transport box, characterized in that: The invention comprises a box body, wherein an intermediate plate is fixedly arranged in the inner cavity of the box body, and the intermediate plate divides the inner cavity of the box body into a storage cavity and a refrigerant cavity in the upper and lower directions, wherein the storage cavity is located above the refrigerant cavity; a refrigerant steel pipe extending in a first direction is arranged in the refrigerant cavity, and a cold air driving mechanism is arranged in the refrigerant steel pipe, the cold air driving mechanism comprising a piston slidably arranged in the refrigerant steel pipe and an opening and closing device arranged in the piston, the piston being able to freely reciprocate in the refrigerant steel pipe in the first direction, and the space between the refrigerant steel pipe and the inner wall of the refrigerant cavity forming a refrigerant area for placing an ice pack; Cold air pipes are installed in the side walls on both sides of the first direction of the box, the cold air pipe in the side wall on one side is called the first cold air pipe, and the cold air pipe in the side wall on the other side is called the second cold air pipe; the upper ends of the cold air pipes are connected to the storage cavity, the lower end of the first cold air pipe is connected to one end of the refrigerant steel pipe, and the lower end of the second cold air pipe is connected to the other end of the refrigerant steel pipe; when the piston moves back and forth in the refrigerant steel pipe along the first direction, the cold air in the refrigerant steel pipe can be sent into the storage cavity through the cold air pipe; the first direction and the second direction both extend horizontally and are perpendicular to each other.

2. The cold chain transport box according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two refrigerant steel pipes are arranged in the refrigerant cavity and spaced apart along the second direction.

3. The cold chain transport box according to claim 2, characterized in that: A collecting cavity extending in the second direction is formed on both sides of the first direction in the refrigerant cavity. Each refrigerant steel pipe is connected to a collecting cavity toward the same end. The first cold air pipe and the second cold air pipe are connected to the refrigerant steel pipe through a collecting cavity respectively.

4. The cold chain transport box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opening and closing device includes an air guide hole provided on the piston, the air guide hole passing through both ends of the piston along a first direction, and along the first direction, the air guide hole includes an air intake section, an expanded diameter section, a sliding section and a threaded section connected in sequence, a hollow externally threaded nut being screwed onto the internal thread of the threaded section, and a guide tube extending along the first direction being provided at one end of the hollow externally threaded nut facing the air intake section; an air guide cylinder is located in the air guide hole, an end of the air guide cylinder facing the hollow externally threaded nut being an open end, and an end of the air guide cylinder facing the air intake section being a closed end, the air guide cylinder being sleeved on the guide tube through its open end and being able to freely reciprocate in the air guide hole along the first direction; an air intake hole is provided on the cylinder wall of one end of the air guide cylinder facing the closed end; When the gas cylinder moves freely back and forth along the first direction, the open end can be pressed against the hollow externally threaded nut, and the closed end can be sealed against the side of the air inlet section facing the threaded section, and when the gas cylinder moves freely back and forth along the first direction, the air inlet hole is always connected outward to the inner cavity of the expanded diameter section.

5. The cold chain transport box according to claim 4, characterized in that: There is a step surface facing the threaded section between the air intake section and the expanded diameter section, and the intersection between the step surface and the inner circumferential surface of the air intake section forms a circular line; the closed end of the air guide cylinder has a conical head with the large end facing the threaded section, and a part of the conical head can extend into the air intake section and make the outer circumferential surface of the conical head rest on the circular line to form a line contact seal.

6. The cold chain transport box according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the first direction, the air inlet section faces the first cold air pipe, the threaded section faces the second cold air pipe, the upper end of the first cold air pipe is connected to the bottom of the storage cavity, and the upper end of the second cold air pipe is connected to the top of the storage cavity.

7. The cold chain transport box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle plate is a porous plate, and a plurality of water-permeable holes are arranged on the middle plate. The water-permeable holes penetrate the upper and lower sides of the middle plate.

8. The cold chain transport box according to claim 7, characterized in that: The upper end of the water permeable hole is in a cone shape with the small end facing downward.

9. The cold chain transport box according to claim 7, characterized in that: A sponge is pasted on the lower surface of the middle plate.

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