Liquid freezing device

Abstract

To prevent a panel part in which at least one of an operation part and a display part is disposed from being hidden when a door is opened in a liquid freezing device.SOLUTION: A liquid freezing device 10 includes: a freezing tank 20 having an opening 20a on the upper surface in a housing 11 for freezing a material to be frozen by a stored antifreeze solution; a door 26 for closing the opening 20a on the upper surface of the freezing tank 20 so as to open or close it freely; and a panel part 16 in which at least one of an operation part 16a and a display part 16b is disposed in a rear side upper surface part of the housing 11 on the rear side of the opening 20a on the upper surface of the freezing tank 20. The door 26 is supported rotatably around a horizontal axis in the rear part of the housing 11. Arm parts 27 are provided in both the right and left parts of the rear part of the door 26, which extend backward in a state that the door 26 is closed, and the tip portions of the arm parts 27 are supported rotatably in the rear part of the housing 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid freezing device that freezes food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other objects to be frozen using cooled antifreeze liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a food freezing device that freezes food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other frozen objects with cooled antifreeze liquid. This food freezing device includes a freezing tank that stores antifreeze liquid, a lid that opens and closes the top opening of the freezing tank, a freezing device that cools the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank, and a stirring means that stirs the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank. In this food freezing device, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank is cooled by a refrigerant circulating through a refrigerant pipe that constitutes the freezing device, and is stirred by the stirring means so that the temperature is uniform. When food ingredients or other frozen objects are immersed in the freezing tank, the objects exchange heat with the antifreeze liquid and are frozen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-298973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the food freezing device (liquid freezing device) used in Patent Document 1, the refrigerant pipe and stirring means of the freezing device are arranged on the left side of the freezing tank (freezing tank), and a lid (door) is supported by a hinge mechanism at the rear of the freezing tank so that it can rotate around an axis in the left-right direction. This type of food freezing device is often installed in the same kitchen as various kitchen appliances, and the installation space is often limited due to the installation relationship of the other kitchen appliances. For this reason, by arranging the refrigerant pipe and stirring means of the freezing device at the rear of the freezing tank, the width of the freezing tank in the left-right direction can be narrowed, and it can be installed in a limited installation space in a kitchen where other kitchen appliances are installed. In addition, in this type of food freezing device, it is preferable to arrange an operation panel (panel part) for checking various operations of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank and information such as temperature at a position that is easy for the user to use, and if the operation panel is arranged behind the opening of the freezing tank, the operability of various operations of the operation panel and the visibility of information such as temperature can be improved. However, a lid is supported at the rear of the opening of the freezing tank so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in the left-right direction, and when the lid is rotated about the horizontal axis to open it, the operation panel is hidden, making it impossible to check various operations on the operation panel and information such as temperature. The object of the present invention is to prevent the panel unit on which at least one of the operation unit and the display unit is located from being hidden when the door is opened in a liquid freezing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a liquid freezing device comprising a freezing tank having an opening on its top surface within a housing and freezing an object to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored inside, a door that can be opened and closed freely to cover the opening on the top surface of the freezing tank, and a panel section on the rear top surface of the housing behind the opening on the top surface of the freezing tank, on which at least one of an operation section and a display section is arranged, the door being supported at the rear of the housing so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and arm sections are provided on both the left and right sides of the rear of the door which extend rearward when the door is closed, and the tips of the arm sections are supported at the rear of the housing so as to be rotatable.

[0006] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, arms are provided on both the left and right sides of the rear part of the door, which extend rearward when the door is closed, and the tips of the arms are rotatably supported on the rear part of the housing. When the front part of the door is lifted to open the opening of the freezing tank, the arms lift the rear end of the door above an imaginary plane that continues from the opening of the freezing tank to the rear side. This allows the panel provided on the upper rear surface of the housing to be unhidden by the open door, and allows the panel to be operated and viewed from below the rear end of the door when the door is open.

[0007] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, the housing is provided with a box-shaped casing part on the rear upper surface part that rises above the opening, and a panel part is arranged at least partially between the front surface and the top surface of the box-shaped casing part, and the arm part may be supported on the side of the box-shaped casing part. When the housing is provided with a box-shaped casing part on the rear upper surface part that rises above the opening, and a panel part is arranged at least partially between the front surface and the top surface of the box-shaped casing part, the operability of the operation part of the panel part and the visibility of the display part can be improved. Since the arm part is supported on the side of the box-shaped casing part, the panel part appears from below the rear end of the opened door and is not hidden, and the panel part can be operated and viewed from below the rear end of the door when the door is opened. In this case, the box-shaped casing part may have an inclined surface inclined diagonally forward at the front upper part, and the panel part may be arranged on the inclined surface. By arranging the panel part on an inclined surface inclined diagonally forward at the front upper part of the box-shaped casing part, the operability of the operation part of the panel part and the visibility of the display part can be further improved.

[0008] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, it is preferable to provide a partition member in the box-shaped casing part that divides the inside into a lower region and an upper region, to arrange an agitation motor that rotates an agitation blade that agitates the antifreeze in the freezing tank in the lower region of the box-shaped casing part, and to arrange a base plate that controls the operation of the liquid freezing device in the upper region of the box-shaped casing part. The cold heat of the antifreeze in the freezing tank is transmitted to the box-shaped casing part, and there is a risk of malfunction due to condensation on the base plate in the box-shaped casing part. Since the base plate that controls the operation of the liquid freezing device is arranged in the upper region formed by the partition member in the box-shaped casing part, the cold heat of the antifreeze is less likely to be transmitted to the base plate. In addition, since the agitation motor is arranged in the lower region of the box-shaped casing part, the base plate arranged in the upper region is warmed by the heat when the agitation motor is operated, and condensation is less likely to occur on the base plate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid freezing device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the liquid freezing apparatus taken along the front-rear direction at the center in the left-right direction. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door of FIG. 1 when it is opened. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liquid freezing apparatus with the cover of the box-shaped casing portion removed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper front part of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction at the center in the front-rear direction in the upper part of the liquid freezing device. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a liquid freezing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper rear portion of FIG. 2. [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective view of a vertical cross section cut along the left-right direction at the rear position of the partition plate, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a vertical cross section of the device with the evaporator tube of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the state in which the stirring device in FIG. 4 has been removed to the upper side. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of the storage basket with the mesh shelf pulled out forward. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is an oblique view of the storage basket when the lower part of the movable frame part is rotated outward with the mesh shelf stored inside the storage basket. FIG. [Figure 13] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 when the locking portion of the storage basket is locked to a hook at the opening of the freezing tank. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a perspective view showing the mesh shelf pulled out forward with the locking portion of the storage basket locked to the hook at the opening of the freezing tank. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. [Figure 16] 11 is a time chart when switching from a freezing operation mode to a cold storage operation mode. [Figure 17] 11 is a time chart showing a case where a mode is switched from an energy saving mode to a normal freezing mode in a freezing operation mode. [Figure 18] 11 is a time chart showing a case where the energy saving mode is switched to the normal freezing mode when the temperature sensor detects the temperature of the object to be frozen being input in the freezing operation mode. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a box-shaped casing portion having a substantially rectangular shape. [Figure 20] 1 is a perspective view of a housing having no box-shaped casing part rising upward from the rear upper surface thereof. FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the liquid freezing device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. The liquid freezing device 10 of the present invention is also called a liquid freezer, and uses an antifreeze liquid containing ethanol (57 wt%) to rapidly freeze food materials, food products, etc. The food materials, food products, etc. are mainly sealed in packaging bags using a vacuum packaging machine or the like, and are frozen in the liquid freezing device 10 and then frozen and stored in a freezer. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid freezing device 10 has a freezing tank 20 at the top and a machine room 12 at the bottom in a housing 11. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a support plate 13 that supports an agitation motor 51 of an agitation device 50 (described later) is installed at the rear of the freezing tank 20, an opening 20a at the top of the freezing tank 20 is arranged on the top surface of the housing 11 except for the rear portion, and a box-shaped casing part 14 that rises upward is provided above the support plate 13 arranged on the rear upper surface of the housing 11.

[0011] As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the box-shaped casing 14 houses various devices including the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 and a board 17 constituting the control device 80, which will be described later, and the box-shaped casing 14 is provided with a removable cover 15 covering the front and top. As shown in Fig. 4, the inside of the box-shaped casing 14 can be maintained by removing the cover 15 of the box-shaped casing 14. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the cover 15 covers the front and top of the box-shaped casing 14, and has an inclined surface 15c between the front surface 15a and the top surface 15b, which is inclined diagonally forward. An operation panel 16 is provided on the inclined surface 15c of the cover 15, and the operation panel 16 is provided with an operation section 16a using operation switches and the like for performing various operations of the liquid freezing device 10, and a display section 16b using a liquid crystal panel, lamps, and the like for displaying the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 and various information.

[0012] 2, 4 and 8, a partition member 18 is provided in the box-shaped casing portion 14 to separate the inside into a lower region and an upper region, an agitation motor 51 is disposed in the lower region of the box-shaped casing portion 14, and a base plate 17 is disposed in the upper region of the box-shaped casing portion 14. The base plate 17 disposed in the upper region of the box-shaped casing portion 14 is disposed away from the antifreeze cooled in the freezing tank 20, and is therefore less susceptible to the cold heat of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20. In addition, the agitation motor 51 and part of the refrigerant piping of the refrigeration device 30 are disposed in the lower region of the box-shaped casing portion 14, and therefore the inside of the box-shaped casing portion 14 is warmed by the exhaust heat of the agitation motor 51 and the heat generated by the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant piping. A rear casing section 19 is provided at the rear of the housing 11, which houses the refrigerant piping of the refrigeration unit 30 that circulates the refrigerant from the machine room 12, which houses part of the refrigerant piping of the refrigeration unit 30, into the box-shaped casing section 14, and exhaust heat from the compressor 31 of the refrigeration unit 30 disposed in the machine room 12 is introduced into the box-shaped casing section 14 via the rear casing section 19. The base plate 17 in the box-shaped casing section 14 is not only located away from the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20, but also inside the box-shaped casing section 14, exhaust heat from the stirring motor 51 is generated and exhaust heat from the compressor 31 is introduced from the machine room 12, so that condensation is unlikely to occur on the base plate 17 at the top of the box-shaped casing section 14.

[0013] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the freezing tank 20 freezes the object to be frozen by the antifreeze liquid stored inside, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening 20a formed on the top surface for putting in and taking out the object to be frozen. A heat insulating material is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the freezing tank 20, and the heat of the antifreeze liquid stored in the freezing tank 20 is not easily released to the outside by the heat insulating material. As shown in Fig. 2, the freezing tank 20 has a main body 21 having a box shape with an open top and an upper side portion 22 provided on the upper side of the main body 21. As shown in Fig. 5, a mounting flange portion 21a extending outward is formed at the upper end of the main body 21, and a mounting flange portion 22a extending outward is formed at the lower end of the upper side portion 22. The mounting flange portion 22a of the upper side portion 22 is arranged so as to overlap the upper side of the mounting flange portion 21a of the main body portion 21, and a heat insulating material 23 such as a silicon sheet is interposed between the mounting flange portion 21a of the main body portion 21 and the mounting flange portion 22a of the upper side portion 22. The mounting flange portion 22a of the upper portion 22 is fixed to the mounting flange portion 21a of the main body portion 21 by rivets with the heat insulating material 23 interposed therebetween. Furthermore, the space between the mounting flange portion 21a of the main body portion 21 and the mounting flange portion 22a of the upper portion 22 is sealed by silicone caulking. Antifreeze is stored in the freezing tank 20 at a liquid level lower than the upper end of the main body portion 21, and the heat insulating material 23 makes it difficult for the cold heat of the antifreeze liquid in the main body portion 21 to be transmitted to the upper portion 22.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, flanges 24 are formed at the front and upper left and right sides of the freezing tank 20, and the inside of the flanges 24 forms an opening 20a on the top surface of the freezing tank 20. The flanges 24 have inclined portions 24a that incline obliquely outward from the side walls (front and left and right sides) around the upper portion 22, and horizontal portions 24b that extend outward in the horizontal direction from the upper end of the inclined portions 24a. The inclined portions 24a incline obliquely upward outward from the left and right side surfaces (left and right side surfaces of the main body 21 and the upper portion 22) that face each other in the left and right direction of the freezing tank 20. The flanges 24 have the function of receiving antifreeze that drips when the object to be frozen is lifted from the freezing tank 20, and the dripped antifreeze is guided from the flanges 24 into the freezing tank 20. The flange portion 24 has an inclined portion 24a formed therein, so that the area of ​​the horizontal portion 24b is small, and the antifreeze received by the flange portion 24 is easily returned to the freezing tank 20 by the inclined portion 24a. A heater 24c is provided below the horizontal portion 24b of the flange portion 24, and the heater 24c has the function of making it difficult for condensation to form on the upper surface of the horizontal portion 24b of the flange portion 24. The heater 24c is also provided below the box-shaped casing portion 14, so that the inside of the box-shaped casing portion 14 is warmed by the heater 24c, making it difficult for condensation to form on the substrate 17.

[0015] The inclined portions 24a on both the left and right sides of the flange portion 24 are provided with hooks 24d for supporting the lower portion of a storage cage 60 for immersing the object to be frozen in the freezing tank 20, and the storage cage 60 is supported by the hooks 24d at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 in a state separated from the liquid surface of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20. Since the inclined portions 24a are inclined obliquely upward and outward from the left and right side surfaces facing each other in the left and right direction of the freezing tank 20, the hooks 24d attached to the inclined portions 24a are retreated outward from the vertical upper side of the left and right side surfaces of the freezing tank 20. Therefore, when the storage cage 60 is put in and taken out of the freezing tank 20, the storage cage 60 is unlikely to get caught on the hooks 24d. The hooks 24d are disposed at two positions spaced apart from each other in the front and rear on the inclined portions 24a on both the left and right sides. The hooks 24d disposed in the front and rear on each of the left and right inclined portions 24a may be disposed so as to be continuous from front to rear.

[0016] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a door (lid) 26 is provided at the opening 20a on the top surface of the freezing tank 20 so as to be freely opened and closed, and the door 26 is supported at the rear of the housing 11 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis. A heat insulating material is provided inside the door 26, and a packing 26a is provided on the lower surface of the door 26 to seal between the door 26 and the peripheral edge of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. An arm portion 27 is provided at the rear end of both the left and right sides of the door 26, which extends rearward when the door 26 is closed, and a tip portion of the arm portion 27 is supported rotatably on the side portion (side surface) 14a of the box-shaped casing portion 14. When the front portion of the door 26 is lifted to open the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the rear end of the door 26 is lifted by the arm portion 27, and the operation panel portion 16 provided on the box-shaped casing portion 14 is exposed from the front side. In this way, the operation section 16a and the display section 16b of the operation panel section 16 can be operated and viewed from the front side, not only when the door 26 is closed but also when it is open.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6, a partition plate 25 is provided at the rear of the freezing tank 20, and the partition plate 25 divides the rear part of the freezing tank 20 into front and rear parts so that antifreeze liquid can pass through. As shown in Fig. 6, the partition plate 25 has a number of openings 25a through which antifreeze liquid can pass, and a passage 25b through which antifreeze liquid can pass is formed between the partition plate 25 and the bottom of the freezing tank 20. Inside the freezing tank 20, the front side of the rear part divided by the partition plate 25 is an immersion area 20b for immersing the object to be frozen in the antifreeze liquid, and the rear part of the freezing tank 20 is a cooling area 20c for cooling the antifreeze liquid. An upper limit liquid level indicator 25c for indicating the upper limit liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 and a lower limit liquid level indicator 25d for indicating the lower limit liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 are formed at the top of the partition plate 25. Each of these upper and lower limit liquid level indicators 25c, 25d is formed by a plurality of protrusions arranged in the left-right direction, and is disposed in a position that is easily visible from the front side of liquid freezing apparatus 10. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a temperature sensor 28 is provided in freezing tank 20, and temperature sensor 28 detects the temperature of the antifreeze in freezing tank 20.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 7, the refrigeration device 30 includes an evaporator tube 34 that is spirally wound in the cooling region 20c, and the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the refrigerant passing through the evaporator tube 34. As shown in Fig. 7, the refrigeration device 30 includes a compressor 31 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 32 that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31, an expansion valve 33 that expands the liquefied refrigerant liquefied by the condenser 32 to produce a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator tube 34 that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 33 to cool the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20. The refrigeration device 30 includes a refrigeration circuit in which the refrigerant circulates by connecting the compressor 31, the condenser 32, the expansion valve 33, and the evaporator tube 34 in a ring shape by a refrigerant tube. When the refrigerant in the refrigeration device 30 is circulated, the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is cooled in the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant, and the liquefied refrigerant becomes a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant in the expansion valve 33. The low-pressure liquefied refrigerant cools the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 by the heat of vaporization when it evaporates in the evaporator tube 34.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 7, the compressor 31 is provided with an overload relay 31a, which stops the compressor 31 in the event of an abnormality such as when the refrigerant liquid temperature is high or when an overcurrent flows. The refrigeration device 30 is provided with a pressure equalizing valve 35 in parallel with the compressor 31, which is used to eliminate the pressure difference between the refrigerant suction side and discharge side of the compressor 31 by opening the pressure equalizing valve 35. In addition, a temperature sensor 36 is provided on the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 31, which detects the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 31.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 2, 8 and 9, in the cooling area 20c of the freezing tank 20, an agitator blade 57 of the agitator 50 is disposed inside the spirally wound evaporator tube 34, and the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is agitated by the rotation of the agitator blade 57 of the agitator 50. As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the agitator 50 is provided with an agitator motor 51 on the upper side of the support plate 13 installed at the rear of the freezing tank 20, and the agitator motor 51 is detachably fixed to the support plate 13 via a mounting plate 52. The agitator motor 51 is capable of changing the rotation speed, and by changing the rotation speed, the strength of the liquid flow of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 can be changed. As shown in Fig. 8, a spacer 53 using a heat insulating material made of a resin material is provided between the agitator motor 51 and the mounting plate 52, and the spacer 53 prevents the transfer of cold heat from the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 to the agitator motor 51 via the support plate 13 and the mounting plate 52. In addition, a cylindrical insulator 54 and a fixed plate 55 are provided on the underside of the mounting plate 52, and the insulator 54 prevents the transfer of cold heat from the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 to the mounting plate 52.

[0021] 2, 8 and 9, the rotating shaft 56 of the stirring motor 51 hangs down inside the evaporation tube 34 wound in a spiral shape in the freezing tank 20, and a stirring blade 57 is provided at the tip of the rotating shaft 56. When the rotating shaft 56 is rotated by the stirring motor 51, the stirring blade 57 at the tip of the rotating shaft 56 rotates inside the spiral evaporation tube 34 in the freezing tank 20. By rotating the stirring blade 57, the antifreeze liquid in the cooling region 20c is cooled as it passes inside the spiral evaporation tube 34, and the cooled antifreeze liquid is sent out through the bottom of the evaporation tube 34, and the sent antifreeze liquid flows through the passage 25b between the lower end of the partition plate 25 and the bottom wall of the freezing tank 20 to the immersion region 20b side. The antifreeze liquid delivered to the immersion area 20b flows from the opening 25a of the partition plate 25 toward the cooling area 20c, and the antifreeze liquid delivered to the cooling area 20c flows into the inside from the upper side of the spiral evaporator pipe 34. In this way, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the evaporator pipe 34 as it circulates between the immersion area 20b and the cooling area 20c.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, an air entrainment prevention plate 58 is provided on the upper side of the agitating blade 57 to prevent air from being entrained in the agitating blade 57. The air entrainment prevention plate 58 suppresses the generation of a vortex on the upper side of the agitating blade 57 when the agitating blade 57 is rotated, prevents air from being entrained in the agitating blade 57, and prevents the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 from increasing due to the entrained air. In this embodiment, the air entrainment prevention plate 58 includes two air entrainment prevention plates 58a and 58b, and the upper air entrainment prevention plate 58a is attached to the top of the partition plate 25, and the lower air entrainment prevention plate 58b is fitted and fixed to the rotating shaft 56. The upper air entrainment prevention plate 58a is formed with a cutout portion 58c that opens to the rear side and through which the rotating shaft 56 is inserted, and the rotating shaft 56 is inserted into the cutout portion 58c. The upper air entrainment prevention plate 58a is larger than the agitating blade 57 when viewed from above, making it difficult for air to be entrained into the agitating blade 57. The lower air entrainment prevention plate 58b is made of a circular resin member, and its center is fitted onto the rotating shaft 56 between the upper air entrainment prevention plate 58a and the agitating blade 57. Since the two air entrainment prevention plates 58a, 58b that prevent air entrainment are provided above the agitating blade 57, air is unlikely to be entrained into the agitating blade 57 when it rotates.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2, 8 and 9, a guide section 59 is provided at the bottom of the freezing tank 20 to guide the antifreeze in the cooling area 20c to the immersion area 20b. The guide section 59 is an inclined plate that is inclined downward from the cooling area 20c to the front side, which is the immersion area 20b side, below the stirring blade 57, and guides the antifreeze flowing downward by the stirring blade 57 inside the spirally wound evaporation tube 34 to the immersion area 20b through the passage 25b below the partition plate 25. In addition, a shielding section 59a that rises upward is provided on both the left and right sides of the guide section 59, and the shielding section 59a makes it difficult for the antifreeze flowing downward by the stirring blade 57 to flow in the left-right direction, which is perpendicular to the horizontal direction in which the immersion area 20b and the cooling area 20c are arranged. The shielding portion 59a makes it difficult for the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 to flow in the left-right direction from the inside of the spirally wound evaporation tube 34, and prevents the occurrence of a short cycle in which the antifreeze liquid flowing inside the evaporation tube 34 rises between the left-right outside of the evaporation tube 34 and the left and right side surfaces of the freezing tank 20 and flows back inside the evaporation tube 34, circulating in a narrow range inside and outside the evaporation tube 34. In this way, since the guide portion 59 for guiding the antifreeze liquid in the cooling region 20c to the immersion region 20b is provided at the bottom of the freezing tank 20, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 circulates between the cooling region 20c and the immersion region 20b, and the object to be frozen immersed in the immersion region 20b is cooled by the antifreeze liquid cooled in the cooling region 20c.

[0024] All parts of the agitator 50, including the agitator motor 51, are fixed to a mounting plate 52, and the mounting plate 52 is removably fixed to the support plate 13 with screws. As shown in Fig. 10, when performing maintenance on the agitator 50, the cover 15 of the box-shaped casing portion 14 is removed to open the inside of the box-shaped casing portion 14, and after removing the screws that secure the mounting plate 52, the agitator 50 can be removed for maintenance by lifting up the agitator motor 51 together with the mounting plate 52.

[0025] The liquid freezing device 10 includes a storage basket 60 for storing food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other objects to be frozen and immersing them in the freezing tank 20. As shown in Fig. 11, the storage basket 60 is made by bending and bonding a plurality of wires (metal wires), and includes substantially rectangular front and rear frame parts 61, 62 spaced apart from each other at the front and rear, first to third connecting bars 63-65 connecting the front and rear frame parts 61, 62 while spaced apart, and a wire shelf 69 for arranging the objects to be frozen in multiple tiers up and down inside the storage basket 60. An opening 61a is formed inside the front frame part 61 because the first to third connecting bars 63-65 are not arranged, and the objects to be frozen can enter and leave the storage basket 60 through the opening 61a of the front frame part 61.

[0026] The front and rear frame parts 61, 62 are arranged at positions spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and three first connecting bars 63 are provided between the front and rear frame parts 61, 62. The first connecting bars 63 are substantially U-shaped with the front side open, and connect the upper and lower parts of the front and rear frame parts 61, 62. Four second connecting bars 64 are provided between the front and rear frame parts 61, 62. The second connecting bars 64 are substantially L-shaped extending forward from the lower end extending vertically of the rear frame part 62 to the front frame part 61 side, and connect the lower parts of the front and rear frame parts 61, 62. The first and second connecting bars 63 and 64 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction. The first connecting bars 63 are arranged on the upper side, rear side, and lower side between the front and rear frame parts 61, 62, and have the function of preventing the frozen object in the storage basket 60 from escaping from the upper side, rear side, and lower side. The second connecting bar 64 is disposed on the rear and lower sides between the front and rear frame parts 61, 62, and has the function of preventing the frozen objects in the storage basket 60 from escaping from the rear and lower sides. Furthermore, an auxiliary bar 66 extending left and right is provided in the middle part in the vertical direction of the rear frame part 62, and the auxiliary bar 66 has the function of preventing the rear frame part 62 from bending left and right, and also prevents the frozen objects stored in the storage basket 60 from escaping from the rear side.

[0027] Third connecting bars 65 (65a, 65c) are provided at the top and bottom between the left and right side portions of the front and rear frame portions 61, 62. The upper third connecting bar 65a is generally U-shaped and opens downward and protrudes upward from the front and rear frame portions 61, 62. A support bar 65b extending in the front-rear direction is provided at the middle portion of the upper third connecting bar 65a in the up-down direction, and a movable frame portion 70 (described later) is supported on the support bar 65b so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in the front-rear direction. The upper third connecting bar 65a functions as a stopper for stopping the rotation of the lower portion of the movable frame portion 70, which is supported so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in the front-rear direction, at an angle at which it can be engaged with the hook 24d of the freezing tank 20. The lower third connecting bar 65c is generally U-shaped and opens inward and protrudes downward from the front and rear frame portions 61, 62. A leg 65d is provided at the bottom of the lower third connecting bar 65c, and the storage basket 60 is installed so as to be spaced apart from the installation surface by the leg 65d. Two support posts 67 are provided spaced apart in the front-rear direction on the support bar 65b of the upper third connecting bar 65a and the lower third connecting bar 65c, and these support posts 67 have the function of preventing the support bar 65b of the upper third connecting bar 65a from bending downward.

[0028] A pair of left and right support rails 68 supporting the mesh shelf 69 are provided on both left and right sides (both sides in the width direction of the storage basket 60) of the front and rear frame parts 61, 62, and in this embodiment, the support rails 68 are arranged in three tiers, one above the other, on both left and right sides of the front and rear frame parts 61, 62. The support rails 68 extend in the depth direction (front-rear direction) perpendicular to the width direction and horizontal direction of the storage basket 60, and include a lower rail 68a supporting the lower side of the left and right ends of the mesh shelf 69, and an upper rail 68b covering the upper side of the left and right ends of the mesh shelf 69. The lower rail 68a extends in the front-rear direction between the front frame part 61 and the rear frame part 62 while being curved inward of the storage basket 60, and is fixed to the front frame part 61 and the rear frame part 62. The upper rail 68b extends front-to-rear between the front support pillars 67 and the rear frame portion 62 while curving inwardly of the storage basket 60, and is fixed to the support pillars 67 and the rear frame portion 62. The upper rail 68b has the function of restricting the wire shelf 69 from moving upward when the frozen objects placed on the lower wire shelf 69 tend to float up in the antifreeze. The lower and upper rails 68a, 68b are positioned inwardly of the support pillars 67 in the width direction of the storage basket 60.

[0029] The wire shelf 69 is for arranging the objects to be frozen in multiple levels in the storage basket 60, and can be inserted and removed from the opening 61a at the front side of the storage basket 60. The wire shelf 69 is provided with a substantially rectangular shelf frame 69a, a loading bar 69b that extends in the front-rear direction inside the shelf frame 69a and places the objects to be frozen on it, and guides 69c provided on both sides in the width direction on the upper side of the shelf frame 69a. The outer diameter of the shelf frame 69a in the width direction is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the front frame 61 in the width direction, and the wire shelf 69 can be inserted and removed from the storage basket 60 through the opening 61a. The width direction end of the shelf frame 69a of the wire shelf 69 is supported between the lower and upper rails 68a and 68b that constitute the support rail 68 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The guides 69c extend along the depth direction of the storage cage 60, slightly inside the widthwise ends on both sides of the shelf frame portion 69a, and have the function of preventing the mesh shelf 69 from moving at an inclination to the left or right between the lower and upper rails 68a, 68b by engaging with the inner part of the storage cage 60 on the upper rail 68b when the mesh shelf 69 is slidably moved in the front-to-rear direction between the lower and upper rails 68a, 68b. The guides 69c allow the mesh shelf 69 to slide in the front-to-rear direction between the lower and upper rails 68a, 68b without shifting in the left-to-right direction, so that it does not get caught on the outer support portions 67 of the support rails 68.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a substantially rectangular movable frame portion 70 is provided on both the left and right sides of the storage cage 60, and the movable frame portion 70 is supported by a support bar 65b provided on an upper third connecting bar 65a that connects the upper parts of both the left and right sides of the front and rear frame portions 61, 62 to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in the front-rear direction. An attachment shaft portion 70a extending forward and backward is provided at the upper portion of the movable frame portion 70 at a position below the upper end, and the movable frame portion 70 is supported by the attachment shaft portion 70a to be rotatable about the axis in the front-rear direction on the support bar 65b. The movable frame portion 70 has a handle portion 70b above the attachment shaft portion 70a, and the handle portion 70b is substantially U-shaped with the bottom side opening. The handle portion 70b of the movable frame portion 70 is used to hold the storage cage 60, and the storage cage 60 is inserted into and removed from the freezing tank 20 by holding the handle portion 70b. The movable frame portion 70 has a locking portion 70c extending forward and backward at its lower end, and the locking portion 70c is supported so as to be rotatable outward from the left and right sides of the front and rear frame portions 61, 62. When the locking portion 70c at the lower portion of the movable frame portion 70 is rotated outward from the left and right sides of the front and rear frame portions 61, 62, the locking portion 70c can be locked with a hook 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. The rear side of the locking portion 70c is inclined obliquely upward, and with the locking portion 70c locked with the hook 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the storage basket 60 is supported at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 so that its rear side is tilted downward.

[0031] 11, when handle portion 70b above mounting shaft portion 70a stands upright, the portion below mounting shaft portion 70a hangs down along the left and right sides of front and rear frame portions 61, 62. In this state, the left and right movable frame portions 70 are fitted inside the left and right side surfaces of freezing tank 20, and storage basket 60 can be placed in freezing tank 20 and immersed in antifreeze. When the storage basket 60 is lifted above the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the handle portions 70b of the left and right movable frame portions 70 are moved toward each other until they engage with the upper third connecting bar 65c which acts as a stopper. This causes the locking portions 70c below the mounting shaft portion 70a to rotate outward so as to move away from the left and right sides of the front and rear frame portions 61, 62, and the locking portions 70c can be locked with hooks 24d provided on the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 13, when the storage cage 60 is moved downward from above the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the locking portion 70c of the movable frame portion 70 is locked to the hook 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. When the locking portion 70c of the movable frame portion 70 is locked to the hook 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the storage cage 60 is supported at the opening 20a above the liquid level of the freezing liquid in the freezing tank 20, and the antifreeze adhering to the storage cage 60 and the object to be frozen falls from the opening 20a into the freezing tank 20. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, since the rear side of the locking portion 70c is inclined obliquely upward, when the locking portion 70c is locked to the hook 24d of the opening 20a, the rear side of the storage cage 60 is inclined downward at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the antifreeze adhering to the storage cage 60 and the object to be frozen is easily drained off. After the antifreeze adhering to the storage basket 60 and the objects to be frozen has fallen into the freezing tank 20, the mesh shelf 69 can be pulled forward as shown in FIG. 14 and the objects to be frozen can be removed from the storage basket 60.

[0033] 15, the liquid freezing device 10 includes a control device 80, which is connected to the operation panel unit 16, the temperature sensor 28, the refrigeration device 30, and the stirring motor 51. The control device 80 has a microcomputer (not shown), which includes a CPU, non-volatile memories (non-volatile storage units) such as RAM, ROM, and EEPROM, and a timer (all not shown), which are connected via a bus.

[0034] The ROM stores a program for a freezing operation mode in which the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is cooled to a freezing temperature suitable for freezing the object to be frozen, a cold storage operation mode in which the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is cooled to a cold storage temperature suitable for storing, and a maintenance operation mode in which the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is raised to a discharge temperature suitable for discharging. The programs for each mode can be executed by operating the operation unit 16a provided on the operation panel unit 16. In addition, by operating the operation unit 16a provided on the operation panel unit 16, it is also possible to control the operation so that the freezing operation mode and the cold storage operation mode are switched and executed at every set time by a timer. When the freezing operation mode, the cold storage operation mode, or the maintenance operation mode is executed, the nonvolatile memory stores the executed mode. Even if the power supply of the liquid freezing device 10 is turned off, the nonvolatile memory stores the executed mode, and the stored mode can be executed when the power supply of the liquid freezing device 10 is turned on.

[0035] A communication terminal 81 is connected to the control device 80, and the control device 80 can communicate with the Internet I, such as an external cloud, via the communication terminal 81. The Internet I, such as the cloud, can be communicated with from a terminal device P, such as an external personal computer or smartphone, and the terminal device P can be connected to the Internet and the control device 80 can be remotely operated via the communication terminal 81. By remotely operating the control device 80 from the terminal device P, it is possible to select a freezing operation mode, a cold storage operation mode or a maintenance operation mode and perform operations such as execution, execution stop or execution reservation at a location away from the installation site where the liquid freezing device 10 is installed.

[0036] In this liquid freezing device 10, the set temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is set independently for the freezing operation mode and the cold storage operation mode. In the freezing operation mode, the set temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is set to a freezing temperature suitable for freezing the object to be frozen, and in this embodiment, the set freezing temperature is set to -35°C as an example of a temperature that can quickly freeze the object to be frozen. In contrast, in the cold storage operation mode, the set temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is set to a cold storage temperature that is higher than the freezing temperature and suitable for storing the antifreeze, and in this embodiment, the cold storage temperature is set to -10°C as an example of a temperature lower than the volatilization temperature and ignition temperature of the antifreeze.

[0037] When controlling the cooling of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 to a set temperature, the control device 80 controls the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 to operate when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 28 is equal to or higher than the upper limit set temperature set by adding a predetermined addition value to the set temperature, and controls the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 to stop operating when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 28 is equal to or lower than the lower limit set temperature set by subtracting a predetermined subtraction value from the set temperature. The antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 tends to decrease in temperature as the temperature decreases. For this reason, if the addition and subtraction values ​​for setting the upper limit and lower limit temperatures are the same for all set temperatures when controlling the cooling of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 to a set temperature, the operation time of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 may be extended or the compressor 31 may repeatedly turn on and off in a short time.

[0038] When controlling the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 to a set temperature of -10°C in the cold storage operation mode, the temperature of the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 drops relatively quickly, and the addition value for setting the upper limit set temperature and the subtraction value for setting the lower limit set temperature are each set to 2°C. The upper limit set temperature in the cold storage operation mode is set to -8°C obtained by adding an addition value of 2°C to the set temperature of -10°C, and the lower limit set temperature in the cold storage operation mode is set to -12°C obtained by subtracting a subtraction value of 2°C from the set temperature of -10°C, and in the cold storage operation mode, the temperature of the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 is controlled to be within a range of ±2°C of the set temperature of -10°C.

[0039] In contrast, when controlling the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 to a set temperature of -35°C in the freezing operation mode, the rate of decrease in the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 tends to be low. Even if the antifreeze is cooled to a temperature lower than -35°C, the temperature of the antifreeze is difficult to decrease below -35°C, and even if the lower limit temperature is set to a subtraction value of 2°C in the freezing operation mode as in the above-mentioned cold storage operation mode, the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is difficult to decrease to the lower limit temperature, and there is a risk that the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 will operate for a long time. For this reason, when controlling the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 to a set temperature of -35°C in the freezing operation mode, the addition value for setting the upper limit temperature is set to 2°C, and the subtraction value for setting the lower limit temperature is set to 1°C, which is lower than in the cold storage operation mode. Even when the set temperature in the freezing tank 20 is as low as -35°C, when the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the refrigeration device 30, the refrigeration device 30 will not operate continuously or for a long time.

[0040] Next, the control in the freezing operation mode will be described. In the freezing operation mode, the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is cooled to a freezing temperature suitable for freezing the object to be frozen. As shown in FIG. 16, in the freezing operation mode, the control device 80 controls the operation of the refrigeration device 30 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 28 so that the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 has a freezing temperature suitable for freezing the object to be frozen, while the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 is operated. As described above, the control device 80 controls the refrigeration device 30 to operate when the temperature sensor 28 detects the upper limit set temperature of the freezing temperature, and controls the refrigeration device 30 to stop operating when the temperature sensor 28 detects the lower limit set temperature of the freezing temperature, and the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is controlled to be in the temperature range between the upper limit set temperature and the lower limit set temperature, with the freezing temperature being the set temperature.

[0041] Furthermore, when the freezing operation mode is being executed, the control device 80 controls the agitation motor 51 of the agitation device 50 to rotate at a high rotation speed (3,000 rpm in this embodiment, shown as high speed in the figure) so that the objects to be frozen immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 can be frozen as quickly as possible. The objects to be frozen immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 are cooled by heat exchange with the antifreeze liquid that is cooled by the liquid flow when the agitation motor 51 is rotated at a high rotation speed.

[0042] Even when the freezing operation mode is being performed, when the object to be frozen is not immersed in the freezing tank 20, the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is not cooled by heat exchange with the object to be frozen, so there is no need to rotate the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 at a high rotation speed. In the freezing operation mode, an energy-saving mode before the object to be frozen is immersed is set in addition to the normal freezing mode when freezing the object to be frozen, and when the energy-saving mode of the freezing operation mode is being performed, the control device 80 controls the stirring motor 51 to rotate at a low rotation speed (600 rpm in this embodiment, shown as low speed in the figure) even when the freezing operation mode is being performed. In this embodiment, the freezing mode and the energy-saving mode can be switched by appropriately operating the operation unit 16a of the operation panel unit 16.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 17, when the energy saving mode is selected in the freezing operation mode, the control device 80 controls the stirring motor 51 to rotate at a low rotation speed. When the object to be frozen is immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 and frozen, the control device 80 controls the stirring motor 51 to rotate at a high rotation speed when the operation unit 16a is operated to switch to the normal freezing mode. The object to be frozen immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by heat exchange with the antifreeze liquid cooled by the liquid flow when the stirring motor 51 is rotated at a high rotation speed. After the object to be frozen is frozen, the control device 80 controls the stirring motor 51 to rotate at a low rotation speed when the operation unit 16a is operated to switch to the energy saving mode.

[0044] Also, the freezing operation mode may be switched from the energy saving mode to the normal freezing mode based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 28. As shown at the timing a in Fig. 18, when an object to be frozen is put into the antifreeze solution in the freezing tank 20, the temperature of the antifreeze solution begins to rise rapidly, and as shown at the timing b in Fig. 18, when the temperature sensor 28 detects the temperature at which the object to be frozen is put in when the object is immersed in the antifreeze solution in the freezing tank 20 (set to -30°C in this embodiment), the mode is switched from the energy saving mode to the normal freezing mode, and the stirring motor 51 is controlled to rotate at a high rotation speed (3,000 rpm in this embodiment). In this way, when the object to be frozen is not immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20, the rotation speed of the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 can be controlled to be low, thereby keeping the power consumption low when the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 is operated, and when the object to be frozen is immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20, the rotation speed of the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 can be controlled to be high, thereby quickly freezing the object to be frozen immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20.

[0045] In addition, when the freezing operation mode is being executed, the control device 80 may control the stirring motor 51 to rotate at a normal high rotation speed (3,000 rpm in this embodiment) until the temperature sensor 28 detects the temperature at which the object to be frozen is introduced when the object is immersed in the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20, and then control the stirring motor 51 to rotate at an even higher rotation speed (for example, 4,000 rpm in this embodiment) when the temperature sensor 28 detects the temperature at which the object to be frozen is introduced when the object is immersed in the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20. In this way, when the object to be frozen is immersed in the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20, the rotation speed of the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 is controlled to be higher than the normal rotation speed, so that the object to be frozen immersed in the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 can be frozen even more quickly.

[0046] Next, the control in the cold storage operation mode will be described. In the cold storage operation mode, the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is cooled to a cold storage temperature that is higher than the freezing temperature and suitable for storage, and the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is cooled so that it does not rise to a high temperature such as a volatilization temperature. Even in the cold storage operation mode, the control device 80 controls the operation of the refrigeration device 30 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 28 so that the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is at a cold storage temperature suitable for storage, with the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 in operation. As described above, the control device 80 controls the refrigeration device 30 to operate when the temperature sensor 28 detects the upper limit set temperature of the cold storage temperature, and controls the operation of the refrigeration device 30 to stop when the temperature sensor 28 detects the lower limit set temperature of the cold storage temperature, and the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is controlled to be in the temperature range between the upper limit set temperature and the lower limit set temperature, which is the cold storage temperature set temperature.

[0047] Since the cold storage operation mode is not intended to freeze the object to be frozen in the freezing tank 20, the control device 80 controls the agitation motor 51 of the agitation device 50 to rotate at a lower rotation speed (600 rpm in this embodiment) than the high rotation speed described above. In this way, the control device 80 controls the rotation speed of the agitation motor 51 of the agitation device 50 to be lower in the cold storage operation mode than when the freezing operation mode is being executed, and the power consumption when the agitation motor 51 of the agitation device 50 is operated can be kept low.

[0048] Next, the control in the maintenance operation mode will be described. In the maintenance operation mode, the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is raised to a discharge temperature suitable for discharge, and the temperature is not raised to a temperature at which the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 will not freeze the tools used for discharge. In the maintenance operation mode, the control device 80 controls the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 to rotate at a speed (3,000 rpm in this embodiment) without cooling by the refrigeration device 30. When the stirring motor 51 of the stirring device 50 is operated, the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is stirred and air is easily mixed in, and the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is easily increased by the mixed air. The temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 gradually rises, and when the temperature sensor 28 detects a temperature of 0°C or higher, which is set as the discharge temperature, the control device 80 controls the stirring motor 51 to stop operating. In addition, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 28 reaches 10°C or higher, the control device 80 preferably controls the refrigeration device 30 to operate and also controls the agitation motor 51 of the agitation device 50 to rotate, so as to prevent the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 from reaching or exceeding its volatilization temperature or ignition temperature.

[0049] When the object to be frozen is frozen by this liquid freezing device 10, the operation unit 16a is operated to cause the control device 80 to execute the freezing operation mode. When the freezing operation mode is executed, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled as it flows downward inside the spirally wound evaporation tube 34 in the cooling region 20c by the liquid flow generated by the rotation of the stirring blade 57 of the stirring device 50. The antifreeze liquid flowing downward inside the evaporation tube 34 is sent to the immersion region 20b through the passage 25b on the lower side of the partition plate 25 by the guide unit 59. The antifreeze liquid sent from the cooling region 20c to the immersion region 20b returns to the cooling region 20c from the opening 25a of the partition plate 25, and the antifreeze liquid returned to the cooling region 20c flows from the upper side of the spirally wound evaporation tube 34 to the inside and is cooled as it flows inside the evaporation tube 34.

[0050] When the storage cage 60 containing the objects to be frozen is immersed in the cooled antifreeze liquid in the immersion area 20b, the objects to be frozen in the storage cage 60 are cooled by heat exchange with the antifreeze liquid that circulates between the cooling area 20c and the immersion area 20b. After the time required to freeze the objects to be frozen has elapsed, the handles 70b are grasped to lift the storage cage 60 in the freezing tank 20 up to the upper side of the freezing tank 20, and the left and right handles 70b are moved in directions approaching each other (towards the inside of the storage cage 60), and the locking parts 70c at the bottom of the movable frame 70 rotate outward and can be locked by hooks 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. When the storage cage 60 is moved downward from the upper side of the freezing tank 20, the locking portion 70c at the lower part of the movable frame portion 70 is locked with the hook 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the storage cage 60 is supported by the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. The antifreeze adhering to the storage cage 60 and the objects to be frozen in the storage cage 60 falls to the lower side, and the falling antifreeze is received in the freezing tank 20. After the antifreeze adhering to the storage cage 60 and the objects to be frozen in the storage cage 60 has been drained off, the frozen objects in the storage cage 60 are moved to a freezer for storage.

[0051] The liquid freezing apparatus 10 configured as described above comprises a freezing tank 20 having an opening 20a on its upper surface within the housing 11 and freezing the object to be frozen using antifreeze stored inside, a door 26 that can be opened and closed freely to cover the opening 20a on the upper surface of the freezing tank 20, and an operation panel unit (panel unit) 16 on which an operation unit 16a and a display unit 16b are arranged on the rear upper surface of the housing 11 behind the opening 20a on the upper surface of the freezing tank 20, and the door 26 is supported at the rear of the housing 11 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis.

[0052] In this liquid freezing device 10, the left and right sides of the rear of the door 26 are provided with arm parts 27 that extend rearward when the door 26 is closed, and the tip parts of the arm parts 27 are rotatably supported at the rear of the housing 11. In this embodiment, the housing 11 is provided with a box-shaped casing part 14 that rises above the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 on the rear upper surface, and the arm part 27 of the door 26 is supported on the side part 14a of the box-shaped casing part 14. In addition, an inclined surface 15c that inclines diagonally forward is formed on the front upper part of the box-shaped casing part 14, and the operation panel part 16 is disposed on this inclined surface 15c. When the front part of the door 26 is lifted to open the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the arm part 27 lifts the rear end of the door 26 above an imaginary plane that continues from the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 to the rear side. The operation panel section 16 provided on the inclined surface 15c of the box-shaped casing section 14 as the rear upper surface section of the housing 11 is not hidden by the open door 26, and when the door 26 is open, the operation section 16a of the operation panel section 16 can be operated and the display section 16b can be viewed from below the rear end of the door 26.

[0053] In addition, in the liquid freezing device 10 of this embodiment, the operation panel unit 16 is arranged on the inclined surface 15c of the box-shaped casing unit 14, so that the operability of the operation unit 16a of the operation panel unit 16 and the visibility of the display unit 16b are particularly good. Even if the operation panel unit 16 is arranged on the inclined surface 15c of the box-shaped casing unit 14 in this way, the arm unit 27 is supported on the side portion 14a of the box-shaped casing unit 14, so that the operation panel unit 16 is not hidden by the opened door 26, and the operation unit 16a can be operated and the display unit 16b can be seen from below the rear end of the door 26 when the door 26 is opened. In this embodiment, the operation panel unit 16 is provided with both the operation unit 16a and the display unit 16b, but this is not limited thereto, and the operation panel unit 16 may be provided with only one of the operation unit 16a and the display unit 16b.

[0054] In this embodiment, the upper front portion of the box-shaped casing portion 14 has an inclined surface 15c inclined obliquely forward, and the operation panel portion 16 is arranged on the inclined surface 15c. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 19, the box-shaped casing portion 14 may be substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and the operation panel portion 16 may be arranged on the upper surface 15b of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped casing portion 14. Although not shown in the figure, the operation panel portion 16 may be arranged on the front surface of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped casing portion 14. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 20, the rear upper surface portion 11a of the housing 11 may not rise upward, but may be set to the same height as the upper surface of the door 26, and the operation panel portion 16 may be arranged on the rear upper surface portion 11a of the housing 11. Although not shown in the figure, the rear upper surface portion of the housing 11 may be set to the same height as the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the operation panel portion 16 may be arranged on the rear upper surface portion of the housing 11.

[0055] In addition, in the liquid freezing device 10 of this embodiment, a partition member 18 is provided in the box-shaped casing portion 14 to divide the inside into a lower region and an upper region, an agitation motor 51 that rotates an agitation blade 57 that agitates the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is disposed in the lower region of the box-shaped casing portion 14, and a board 17 that controls the operation of the liquid freezing device 10 is disposed in the upper region of the box-shaped casing portion 14. The cold heat of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is transmitted to the box-shaped casing portion 14, and there is a risk of malfunction of the board 17 in the box-shaped casing portion 14 due to condensation. Since the board 17 is disposed in the upper region formed by the partition member 18 in the box-shaped casing portion 14, the cold heat of the antifreeze is less likely to be transmitted to the board 17. Furthermore, since the agitation motor 51 is disposed in the lower region of the box-shaped casing portion 14, the board 17 disposed in the upper region is warmed by the heat generated when the agitation motor 51 is operated, and condensation is less likely to occur on the board 17.

[0056] In the liquid freezing device 10 of this embodiment, a luminometer that detects brightness may be provided above the liquid surface of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20, and the open / closed state of the door 26 may be detected based on the detection result of the luminance detected by the luminometer. When the luminometer detects that the door 26 has been open for a predetermined time, for example, 30 minutes or more, the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16 displays that the door 26 is open, thereby notifying the user that the door 26 has been left open. In addition, when the luminometer detects that the door 26 has been closed for a long period of time, the cold storage operation mode may be executed. In addition, instead of executing the cold storage operation mode, the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 may be stopped, or the rotation speed of the stirring motor 51 and the fan motor of the condenser 32 may be controlled to be reduced, and power consumption can be reduced in this case as well.

[0057] In the liquid freezing device 10 of this embodiment, a liquid surface temperature sensor that detects the temperature above the liquid surface of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 may be provided, and the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16 may display that the antifreeze is at or above the ignition temperature based on the temperature detected by the liquid surface temperature sensor. Also, when the temperature of the temperature sensor 28 that detects the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is in the range of -10°C to 10°C, for example, and the temperature detected by the liquid surface temperature sensor is higher than 40°C, for example, for 10 minutes or more, the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is in a state where it is easy for the antifreeze to volatilize because the temperature near the liquid surface is high, even if the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is lower than the ignition temperature, the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16 may display that the antifreeze may be at or above the ignition temperature.

[0058] Similarly, an outside air temperature sensor is provided in the box-shaped casing 14 to detect the outside air temperature, and even if the temperature sensor 28 detects a temperature lower than -10°C during operation of the refrigeration device 30, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor above the liquid surface is in the range from the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor minus 10°C to the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor, the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 above the liquid surface of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is detected to be close to the outside air temperature, although the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is low. In this case, since there is a risk that the door 26 is open or the packing 26a of the door 26 is damaged, the display 16b of the operation panel 16 may display that the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 is not sealed by the door 26.

[0059] In the liquid freezing device 10 of this embodiment, a liquid level sensor for detecting the liquid level of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 may be provided, and the liquid level sensor may display on the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16 whether the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is at an appropriate liquid level or not. When the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor is low, information urging the user to replenish the antifreeze may be displayed on the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16, and when the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor is high, information indicating that the antifreeze is excessive and that the antifreeze needs to be drained may be displayed on the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16. In addition, when the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor is an appropriate liquid level, when the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor becomes high after the object to be frozen is put in, information indicating that the object to be frozen has been put in too much in the freezing tank 20 and urging the user to reduce the object to be frozen may be displayed on the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16. Furthermore, when the liquid level sensor repeatedly detects high and low liquid levels, it detects that an object to be frozen has been thrown into the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20, and information that there is a risk of the antifreeze spilling due to the object to be frozen being thrown in may be displayed on the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16.

[0060] In the liquid freezing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the door 26 that opens and closes the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 is closed by its own weight, but a hook may be provided on the door 26 and a solenoid lock that can be engaged with the hook of the door 26 may be provided on the periphery of the housing 11 or the freezing tank 20. By engaging the hook of the door 26 with the solenoid lock, the sealing between the door 26 and the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 can be improved. Also, when the state in which the hook of the door 26 is not engaged with the solenoid lock continues for a predetermined time, for example, 30 minutes, information that the door 26 is not closed may be displayed on the display unit 16b of the operation panel unit 16.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, the various set temperatures such as the concentration of antifreeze, the freezing temperature of antifreeze, the cold storage temperature, the discharge temperature, the addition value of the set upper limit temperature, the subtraction value of the set lower limit temperature, and the rotation speed of the stirring motor 51 are only examples and are not limited to those described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] Reference Signs List 10...liquid freezing device, 11...housing, 14...box-shaped casing portion, 14a...side portion, 15a...front surface, 15b...top surface, 15c...inclined surface, 16...panel portion (operation panel portion), 16a...operation portion, 16b...display portion, 17...board, 18...partition member, 20...freezing tank, 26...door, 27...arm portion.

Claims

1. a freezing tank having an opening on an upper surface thereof within the housing and configured to freeze an object to be frozen using an antifreeze liquid stored therein; a door for freely closing and opening the opening at the top of the freezing tank; a panel unit having at least one of an operation unit and a display unit disposed on a rear upper surface of the housing at a rear side of an opening on the top surface of the freezing tank, The door is supported at the rear of the housing so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, A liquid freezing device characterized in that arm portions extending rearward when the door is closed are provided on both left and right sides of the rear of the door, and the tips of the arm portions are rotatably supported on the rear of the housing.

2. 2. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1, the housing includes a box-shaped casing portion on a rear upper surface thereof that rises above the opening, and the panel portion is disposed at least partially between a front surface and an upper surface of the box-shaped casing portion, A liquid freezing apparatus characterized in that the arm portion is supported on a side portion of the box-shaped casing portion.

3. The liquid freezing device according to claim 2, A liquid freezing apparatus characterized in that the box-shaped casing portion has an inclined surface that slopes obliquely forward at an upper front side, and the panel portion is disposed on the inclined surface.

4. The liquid freezing device according to claim 2, a partition member is provided within the box-shaped casing portion to divide the inside into a lower region and an upper region; a stirring motor for rotating stirring blades that stir the antifreeze in the freezing tank is disposed in a lower region within the box-shaped casing portion, and a base plate for controlling the operation of the liquid freezing device is disposed in an upper region within the box-shaped casing portion.

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