Liquid freezing device

Abstract

To prevent the periphery of a liquid freezing device from being smeared by an anti-freeze solution dripping from a storage basket in which a material to be frozen is stored after the storage basket in which a material to be frozen is stored is lifted and taken out from the anti-freeze solution in a freezing tank.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 an anti-freeze solution stored inside; and a storage basket 60 for storing the material to be frozen and immersing it in the anti-freeze solution in the freezing tank 20. The opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 is provided with a hook 24d that engages with an engagement part 70c provided in the lower part of the storage basket 60 and supports the storage basket 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

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 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, food to be cooked, and 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] When freezing food items, such as ingredients and food products, in the food freezing device (liquid freezing device) used in Patent Document 1, the food items, such as ingredients and food products, are stored in a basket (storage basket), and the basket containing the food items is immersed in antifreeze liquid in a freezing tank (freezing tank). When the basket is lifted after the food items, such as ingredients and food products, have frozen, the antifreeze liquid adhering to the frozen items and the basket may drip off, causing the antifreeze liquid to stain the surroundings of the food freezing device. The object of the present invention is to prevent the surroundings of the liquid freezing device from being stained by the antifreeze liquid dripping from the storage basket containing the frozen items after the storage basket containing the frozen items is lifted out of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank and then removed. [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 the upper surface within a housing and freezing objects to be frozen using antifreeze stored inside, and a storage basket for storing the objects to be frozen and immersing them in the antifreeze in the freezing tank, characterized in that the opening of the freezing tank is provided with a hook that supports the storage basket by engaging with an engaging portion provided at the bottom of the storage basket.

[0006] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, a hook is provided at the opening of the freezing tank to engage with a locking part provided at the bottom of the storage cage and support the storage cage, so that the storage cage containing the object to be frozen can be lifted from the antifreeze in the freezing tank and the locking part provided at the bottom of the storage cage can be engaged with the hook, so that the bottom of the storage cage can be supported at the opening of the freezing tank, and the antifreeze dripping from the storage cage can be returned to the freezing tank. This prevents the surroundings of the liquid freezing device from being soiled by the antifreeze dripping from the storage cage.

[0007] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, it is preferable to provide hooks on both horizontally opposing sides of the opening of the freezing tank, and to provide locking parts on both horizontally opposing sides of the lower part of the storage basket so that they can be rotated outward. When this is done, when the locking parts are not rotated outward of the storage basket, the storage basket can be immersed in the antifreeze in the freezing tank, and by rotating the locking parts outward from the sides of the storage basket, the locking parts can be locked to the hooks at the opening of the freezing tank.

[0008] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, the opening of the freezing tank preferably has an inclined portion that slopes obliquely upward and outward from both horizontally opposing side surfaces of the freezing tank, and a hook is provided on the inclined portion. Since the hook is provided on the inclined portion that slopes obliquely upward and outward from both horizontally opposing side surfaces of the freezing tank, the hook is retracted outward from the vertical upper side of both horizontally opposing side surfaces of the freezing tank, making it difficult for the storage basket to get caught on the hook when the storage basket is inserted into or removed from the freezing tank.

[0009] In the liquid freezing device constructed as described above, it is preferable that the storage basket is supported by the hook so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other side. When this is done, the other side of the storage basket engaged with the hook becomes lower in the horizontal direction, so that the antifreeze adhering to the object to be frozen and the storage basket can easily flow down from the other side in the horizontal direction, and the antifreeze adhering to the object to be frozen and the storage basket can be easily drained off.

[0010] In a liquid freezing device in which the storage basket is supported by the hooks so that one side is higher than the other in the horizontal direction, the hooks may be disposed at the same height on both horizontally opposing sides of the opening of the freezing tank, and the locking parts may be lower on one side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the hooks face than the other, thereby supporting the storage basket by the hooks so that one side is higher in the horizontal direction than the other. Similarly, the hooks may be disposed at the same height on both horizontally opposing sides of the opening of the freezing tank, and the locking parts may be lower on one side in a direction in which the hooks face than the other, thereby supporting the storage basket by the hooks so that one side is higher in the horizontal direction than the other.

[0011] In a liquid freezing device in which the storage basket is supported by the hooks so that one side is higher than the other in the horizontal direction, the hooks may be disposed at a higher position on both sides of the opening of the freezing tank in the horizontal direction than the other, so that the storage basket is supported by the hooks so that one side is higher than the other in the horizontal direction.Similarly, the hooks may be disposed at both sides of the opening of the freezing tank in the horizontal direction such that one side is higher than the other in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the hooks face each other.

[0012] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, the storage basket includes an opening on one horizontal side through which the objects to be frozen can be put in and taken out, a wire shelf that can be put in and taken out from the opening and that allows the objects to be frozen to be arranged vertically in multiple tiers within the storage basket, support rails that support the widthwise ends of the wire shelf on both sides of the widthwise opening within the storage basket so that they can slide in a depth direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction and the horizontal direction, and a support column that is disposed on the outside of the support rail, and the support rail has a lower rail that supports the lower side of the widthwise end of the wire shelf and an upper rail that restricts the movement of the upper side of the wire shelf in the widthwise direction, and it is preferable that at least one of the upper and lower sides of the wire shelf is provided with a guide that engages with the inside of the widthwise support rail on both sides of the widthwise opening to guide the wire shelf in the depth direction. When the wire shelf is moved from the opening in the depth direction within the storage basket, the guides at both ends of the widthwise direction of the wire shelf engage with the inside of the widthwise support rail, so that the wire shelf does not shift in the width direction and the wire shelf does not get caught on the support column.

[0013] Another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems is a liquid freezing device that includes a freezing tank having an opening on the top surface within a housing, for freezing objects to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored inside, and a storage basket for storing objects to be frozen and immersing them in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank, wherein the top of the storage basket is provided with a handle for lifting the storage basket above the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank, and the storage baskets can be stacked up and down by placing the bottom of the storage basket on top of the handle, and the liquid freezing device provides a liquid freezing device in which the upper storage basket can be placed on top of the handle of the lower storage basket while being tilted so that one horizontal end is higher than the other.

[0014] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, the upper part of the storage basket is provided with a handle for lifting the storage basket above the liquid level of the antifreeze in the freezing tank, and the storage baskets can be stacked up and down by placing the bottom of the storage basket on the handle, and the upper storage basket can be placed on the handle of the lower storage basket in a tilted state so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other. When the storage basket containing the object to be frozen is lifted from the antifreeze in the freezing tank and placed on the handle of the storage basket placed lower in the freezing tank, and the storage baskets are stacked up and down, the upper storage basket is tilted so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other above the antifreeze in the freezing tank. Not only can the antifreeze dripping from the upper storage basket be returned to the freezing tank, but the antifreeze adhering to the object to be frozen and the storage basket can easily flow down from the other side in the horizontal direction, and the antifreeze adhering to the object to be frozen and the storage basket can be drained well.

[0015] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, it is preferable that the storage basket has an opening formed on one horizontal side for introducing and removing the objects to be frozen. When the storage baskets are stacked vertically in the freezing tank by being placed on top of the handle of the storage basket placed lower, the opening for introducing and removing the objects to be frozen into the storage basket faces diagonally upward, so that the objects to be frozen placed in the storage basket placed upper are less likely to fall through the opening.

[0016] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, the handle portion extends from one side in the horizontal direction to the other side in the extension direction, and a recess that is recessed downward is formed on the other side of the extension direction of the handle portion, so that the bottom of the other side of the horizontal direction of the storage basket placed on the upper side can be engaged with the recess, so that the storage basket placed on the upper side can be placed on top of the handle portion of the storage basket placed on the lower side in a state in which the one horizontal side is higher than the other. Similarly, the handle portion extends from one side in the horizontal direction to the other, and the handle portion is tilted so that one horizontal side is higher than the other, so that the storage basket placed on the upper side can be placed on top of the handle portion of the storage basket placed on the lower side in a state in which the one horizontal side is higher than the other. Similarly, the handle portion extends from one side in the horizontal direction to the other side in the extension direction, and legs are provided on both sides of the bottom of the storage basket in the extension direction intersecting the extension direction to separate it from the placement surface, and the legs located on the other side in the extension direction have a recess that is recessed upward at a position opposite the handle portion, so that the handle portion of the storage basket located below can be engaged with the recess, making it possible for the storage basket located above to be placed on top of the handle portion of the storage basket located below with the storage basket tilted so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [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] 13 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 12 when the locking portion of the storage basket is not inclined in the height direction. FIG. [Figure 20] 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 when the heights of the hooks are changed on the left and right sides. FIG. [Figure 21] 13 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 12 when the height of the movable frame part on the right side of the storage basket is changed. FIG. [Figure 22] 14 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 13 when the height of the hook is changed between the front and rear. FIG. [Diagram 23] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of a left side portion of a freezing tank of a liquid freezing apparatus according to a second embodiment, taken along a front-rear direction. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a storage basket used in the second embodiment. [Diagram 25] 25 is a perspective view of the storage basket of FIG. 24 with the wire shelf pulled out forward. FIG. [Figure 26] 24 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the front storage basket lifted up from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 23 and placed on top of the rear storage basket. [Figure 27] This is a perspective view of a modified storage basket (with the mesh shelf omitted) in which the handle is tilted back and forth. [Figure 28] 13 is a perspective view of a modified storage basket (without the mesh shelf) in which a recess is formed in the rear leg into which the handle of the lower storage basket can be engaged. FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0018] 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. Food materials, food products, etc. are mainly sealed in packaging bags using a vacuum packaging machine, etc., and are frozen in the liquid freezing device 10 and then frozen and stored in a freezer.

[0019] (First embodiment) In the liquid freezing device 10 of the first embodiment, a hook 24d is provided for engaging a locking portion 70c provided at the lower part of the storage cage 60 with an opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 in which an object to be frozen is frozen with antifreeze, and the locking portion 70c of the storage cage 60 lifted from the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is engaged with the hook 24d, so that the lower part of the storage cage 60 is supported by the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the liquid freezing device 10 has a freezing tank 20 at the upper part and a machine room 12 at the lower part in a housing 11. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a support plate 13 for supporting a stirring motor 51 of a stirring device 50 described later is installed at the rear part of the freezing tank 20, and the opening 20a of the upper surface of the freezing tank 20 is arranged on the upper surface part of the housing 11 except for the rear part, and a box-shaped casing part 14 rising upward is provided above the support plate 13 arranged on the rear upper surface part of the housing 11.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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 arranged on 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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 so as 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 open. 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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 efficiently 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] The liquid freezing device 10 of the first embodiment configured as described above includes a freezing tank 20 having an opening 20a on the upper surface in the housing 11, which freezes the object to be frozen with antifreeze liquid stored inside, and a storage basket 60 for storing the object to be frozen and immersing it in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. In this liquid freezing device 10, a hook 24d is provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 to support the storage basket 60 by engaging with the locking portion 70c provided at the lower part of the storage basket 60. Therefore, by lifting the storage basket 60 containing the object to be frozen from the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 and engaging the locking portion 70c provided at the lower part of the storage basket 60 with the hook 24d, the lower part of the storage basket 60 can be supported by the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the antifreeze liquid dripping from the storage basket 60 can be returned to the freezing tank 20. This prevents the surroundings of the liquid freezing device 10 from being soiled by the antifreeze liquid dripping from the storage basket 60.

[0061] In the liquid freezing device 10 of the first embodiment, the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 is provided with hooks 24d on both left and right sides (both sides) that face each other in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). In addition, the movable frame portion 70 is provided on both left and right sides of the storage cage 60 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis, and the lower part of the storage cage 60 is provided with a locking portion 70c on the lower part of the movable frame portion 70 so as to be rotatable outward on both left-right sides (horizontal direction) of the storage cage 60. When the handle portion 70b above the mounting shaft portion 70a of the movable frame portion 70 of the storage cage 60 stands upright, the locking portion 70c below the mounting shaft portion 70a hangs down along the left and right sides of the front and rear frame portions 61, 62. In this state, the movable frame portions 70 on both left and right sides are fitted inside the left and right sides of the freezing tank 20, and the storage cage 60 can be placed in the freezing tank 20 and immersed in antifreeze. When the handle portions 70b of the movable frame portion 70 are moved toward the inside of the storage cage 60, the locking portions 70c at the bottom of the movable frame portion 70 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 the hooks 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. When the storage cage 60 is moved downward from above the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the locking portions 70c of the movable frame portion 70 are locked with the hooks 24d provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. In this way, when the locking portion 70c of the movable frame portion 70 is not rotated outward from the storage cage 60, the storage cage 60 can be immersed in the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20, and by rotating the locking portion 70c of the movable frame portion 70 outward from the side of the storage cage 60, the locking portion 70c can be locked with a hook at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20.

[0062] In the liquid freezing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 includes an inclined portion 24a that inclines obliquely upward and outward from both left and right side surfaces opposing in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the freezing tank 20, and a hook 24d is provided on the inclined portion 24a. Since the hook 24d is provided on the inclined portion 24a that inclines obliquely upward and outward from both left and right side surfaces opposing in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the freezing tank 20, the hook 24d retreats to the outside from the upper vertical side of both left and right side surfaces opposing in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the freezing tank 20, and when the storage basket 60 is inserted into or removed from the freezing tank 20, the storage basket 60 does not get caught on the hook 24d.

[0063] Furthermore, when the storage basket 60 is supported at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the storage basket 60 is supported by the hooks 24d so that the front part (one side in the horizontal direction) in one of the front-rear directions (horizontal directions) is higher than the rear part (the other side in the horizontal direction). In this embodiment, the hooks 24d are disposed at the same height on both left and right sides facing each other in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the locking parts 70c are arranged so that the front part (one side) in the front-rear direction is lower than the rear part (the other side) in the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction in which the hooks 24d face, thereby supporting the storage basket 60 by the hooks 24d so that the front part (one side) in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction) is higher than the rear part (the other side). Since the rear (the other horizontal side) of the storage basket 60 engaged with the hook 24d becomes lower, the antifreeze adhering to the object to be frozen and the storage basket 60 easily flows down from the rear, thereby enabling the antifreeze adhering to the object to be frozen and the storage basket 60 to be efficiently drained off.

[0064] Furthermore, when the height position of the left side (one side) of the hooks 24d arranged on the left and right sides is increased and the height position of the right side (the other side) is decreased to lower the rear right side of the storage basket 60, the rear right side of the storage basket 60 engaged with the hook 24d becomes lower, so that the antifreeze adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage basket 60 can easily flow down from the rear right side, thereby further improving the drainage of the antifreeze adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage basket 60. Similarly, when the length of the lower side of the mounting shaft portion 70a of the movable frame portions 70 arranged on the left and right is made shorter on the other side (right side) than on the left side (one side), and the engaging portion 70c is made higher on one side in the left and right directions in the direction in which the hooks 24d face each other than the other side, thereby lowering the rear right side of the storage cage 60, the rear right side of the storage cage 60 engaged with the hooks 24d becomes lower, so that the antifreeze adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage cage can easily flow down from the rear right side, thereby further improving the drainage of the antifreeze adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage cage 60.

[0065] In the first embodiment, the hooks 24d are disposed at the same height on both left and right side portions facing each other in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the locking portion 70c is configured so that the front portion (one side) in the front-rear direction is lower than the rear portion (the other side) in the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction in which the hooks 24d face, thereby supporting the storage basket 60 by the hooks 24d so that the front portion (one side) in the horizontal direction is higher than the rear portion (the other side). The present invention is not limited to this, and the hooks 24d may be disposed at the same height on both front and rear side portions facing each other in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction) of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the locking portion 70c is configured so that one side in the front-rear direction is higher than the other side in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction in which the hooks 24d face, thereby supporting the storage basket 60 by the hooks 24d so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other side.

[0066] Furthermore, in each of the modified examples of the first embodiment shown below, the storage basket 60 may be supported by hooks 24d at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other. In each of the modified examples shown below, as shown in Fig. 19, the locking portions 70c at the lower part of the movable frame portion 70 of the storage basket 60 are not inclined in the height direction between the front and rear. In Fig. 19, the locking portions 70c whose rear side is inclined diagonally upward as in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0067] (Variation 1) In the first modification, as shown in Fig. 20, the hooks 24d are disposed on both sides facing each other in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, with the left (one) hook 24d disposed at a higher position than the right (other) hook 24d (the difference in height is indicated by h in Fig. 20), so that the storage basket 60 can be supported by the hooks 24d so that the left (one) side is higher than the right (other) side in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). Even in this case, the hooks 24d may be disposed on both front and rear sides facing each other in the front-rear direction of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the locking portions 70c may be disposed in the front-rear direction.

[0068] (Variation 2) In the second modification, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the hooks 24d are disposed at the same height on both the left and right side portions facing each other in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and then, as shown in Fig. 21, the length below the mounting shaft portion 70a on the right side (one side) of the movable frame portions 70 disposed on the left and right sides is shortened to make the left side (one side) of the locking portion 70c lower than the right side (the other side) in the left-right direction in which the hooks 24d face, thereby enabling the hooks 24d to support the storage basket 60 so that the left side (one side) is higher than the right side (the other side) in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). Even in this case, the hooks 24d may be disposed on both the front and rear side portions facing each other in the front-rear direction of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the locking portion 70c may be disposed in the front-rear direction.

[0069] (Variation 3) 22, in the third modification, hooks 24d are disposed on both sides facing in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of opening 20a of freezing tank 20 so that a front portion (one side) in a front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the left-to-right direction in which hooks 24d face is higher than a rear portion (the other side), thereby supporting storage basket 60 by hooks 24d so that a front portion (one side) in the horizontal direction is higher than a rear portion (the other side). Even in this case, hooks 24d may be disposed on both front and rear sides facing in the front-to-rear direction of opening 20a of freezing tank 20, and locking portions 70c may be disposed in the front-to-rear direction.

[0070] In the first to third modifications, in addition to supporting the storage basket 60 at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 so that one side of the storage basket 60 is higher than the other side in the horizontal direction, the storage basket 60 may be supported at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 so that one side of the storage basket 60 in a direction perpendicular to the tilt direction in the horizontal direction is higher than the other side, and one corner of the storage basket 60 may be supported at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 so as to be the lowest. When this is done, the antifreeze adhering to the object to be frozen and the storage basket 60 can be more effectively drained off.

[0071] In the liquid freezing device 10 of the first embodiment including the above-mentioned modified example, the storage basket 60 is provided with an opening 61a on the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) through which the objects to be frozen can be put in and taken out, a wire shelf 69 which can be put in and taken out from the opening 61a and which allows the objects to be frozen to be arranged vertically in multiple tiers in the storage basket 60, support rails 68 which support the widthwise end of the wire shelf 69 on both sides of the widthwise direction of the opening 61a in the storage basket 60 so as to be slidable in the depth direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction and the horizontal direction, and a support part 67 which is provided on the outside of the support rail 68. The support rail 68 has a lower rail 68a which supports the lower side of the widthwise end of the wire shelf 69, and an upper rail 68b which restricts the movement of the upper side of the wire shelf 69 in the widthwise direction. On the upper side of the wire shelf 69, guides 69c are provided on both sides of the widthwise direction of the opening 61a of the storage basket 60 to engage with the inner side of the widthwise direction of the support rail 68 and guide the wire shelf 69 in the depth direction. When the wire shelf 69 is moved from the opening 61a to the depth direction within the storage basket 60, the guides 69c at both ends in the width direction of the wire shelf 69 are engaged with the inside of the width direction of the upper rail 68b of the support rail 68, so that the wire shelf 69 does not shift in the width direction and the wire shelf 69 does not get caught on the support column 67. In this embodiment, the guides 69c are provided on the upper side of both ends in the width direction of the wire shelf 69, but this is not limited to this, and the guides 69c may be provided on the lower side of both ends in the width direction of the wire shelf 69, and the guides 69c may be engaged with the inside of the width direction of the lower rail 68a. Similarly, the guides 69c may be provided on the lower and upper sides of both ends in the width direction of the wire shelf 69, and the guides 69c may be engaged with the inside of the width direction of the lower and upper rails 68a and 68b. In this embodiment, the opening of the storage basket 60 is provided on the front side as one side in the horizontal direction, but this is not limited to this, and the opening may be provided on the rear side, left side, or right side.

[0072] Second embodiment In the liquid freezing device 10 of the first embodiment, a hook 24d is provided for engaging the locking portion 70c provided at the lower part of the storage cage 60 with the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 in which the object to be frozen is frozen with antifreeze, and the locking portion 70c of the storage cage 60 lifted from the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is engaged with the hook 24d, so that the lower part of the storage cage 60 is supported by the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. In the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment, two storage cages 60A can be stacked vertically, and the upper storage cage 60A can be placed above the lower storage cage 60A above the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20. In addition, in the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment, the upper storage cage 60A can be placed above the lower storage cage 60A in a state inclined so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (the other side). Since the storage basket 60A placed on the upper side is placed above the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20, the antifreeze liquid adhering to the storage basket 60A placed on the upper side and the object to be frozen placed in the storage basket 60A is returned to the freezing tank 20. The following describes the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment, focusing on the differences from the liquid freezing device 10 of the first embodiment.

[0073] The liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment is larger than the freezing tank 20 of the liquid freezing device 10 of the first embodiment, and the part of the freezing tank 20 other than the left side is used as an immersion area 20b, and the left side of the freezing tank 20 is used as a cooling area (not shown) for cooling the antifreeze. As shown in FIG. 23, two storage baskets 60A are arranged in front and rear in the freezing tank 20, and the two storage baskets 60A can be immersed in the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 in a front-to-back arrangement. In FIG. 23 and FIG. 26 described later, the liquid level of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25, the storage basket 60A has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an opening 60Aa is formed in the front part of the storage basket 60A for inserting and removing the object to be frozen and the net shelf 69A. The storage cage 60A is made by bending and bonding a plurality of wires (metal wires), and includes left and right frame parts 61A, 62A having a substantially rectangular shape and arranged at positions spaced apart from each other on the left and right sides, upper and lower frame parts 63A, 64A having a substantially rectangular shape and arranged at positions spaced apart from each other on the upper and lower sides, and a wire shelf 69A for arranging the objects to be frozen in multiple tiers up and down inside the storage cage 60A. The left and right frame parts 61A, 62A are connected to each other at a left-right distance by the upper and lower frame parts 63A, 64A, and the upper and lower frame parts 63A, 64A are connected to each other at a vertical distance by the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A, and the storage cage 60A has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame body formed by the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A and the upper and lower frame parts 63A, 64A.

[0074] The storage cage 60A is provided with a plurality of reinforcing bars 65A to increase the strength in the vertical and front-rear directions. The reinforcing bars 65A are open at the front and have a roughly U-shaped shape when viewed from the side, and are fixed to the upper and lower frame parts 63A and 64A. The reinforcing bars 65A are arranged at equal intervals between the left and right frame parts 61A and 62A, and have the function of preventing the objects to be frozen from escaping to the upper, rear and lower sides from the top, rear and bottom parts of the storage cage 60A. The reinforcing bars 65A are open at the front and have a roughly U-shaped shape when viewed from the side, and since these reinforcing bars 65A are not arranged on the front part of the storage cage 60A, an opening 60Aa is formed for the objects to be frozen to enter and exit.

[0075] The storage cage 60A also includes multiple reinforcing frame parts 66A to increase its strength in the vertical and front-to-rear directions. The reinforcing frame parts 66A are made by bending wire material (metal wire material) into a substantially rectangular shape, and are fixed to the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A and the upper and lower frame parts 63A, 64A. The multiple reinforcing frame parts 66A are also disposed at equal intervals in the front-to-rear direction between the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A, and have the function of preventing the frozen object from escaping to the top, left and right sides, and bottom of the storage cage 60A.

[0076] The bottom of the storage cage 60A is provided with legs 67A at the front and back, and the legs 67A separate the bottom of the storage cage 60A from the installation surface. The legs 67A are formed by bending wire material (metal wire material), and are formed in a roughly U-shape that opens at the top and extends in the left-right direction at the front and rear of the bottom of the storage cage 60A. In addition, the legs 67A are formed with recesses 67Aa that are bent upward and open at the bottom at two positions on the right and left of the center in the left-right direction, and these recesses 67Aa make it difficult for the legs 67A to bend up and down.

[0077] Each of the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A is provided with a support rail 68A for supporting the wire rack 69A. In this second embodiment, the support rail 68A is arranged in four stages vertically on each of the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A. The support rail 68A extends in the depth direction (front-rear direction) perpendicular to the width direction and horizontal direction of the storage basket 60A, and includes a lower rail 68Aa that supports the lower side of the left and right ends of the wire rack 69A, and an upper rail 68Ab that is arranged on the upper side of the left and right ends of the wire rack 69A. The lower rail 68Aa extends in the front-rear direction between the front and rear parts of each of the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A while curving inwardly of the storage basket 60A, and is fixed to the front and rear parts of each of the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A. The upper rail 68Ab extends in the front-rear direction between the reinforcing frame part 66A at the center in the front-rear direction and the rear parts of the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A while curving inwardly of the storage basket 60A, and is fixed to the reinforcing frame part 66A and the rear parts of the left and right frame parts 61A, 62A. The upper rail 68Ab has the function of restricting the upper movement of the lower wire shelf 69A when the frozen objects placed on the wire shelf 69A tend to float up in the antifreeze solution.

[0078] The wire shelf 69A includes a shelf frame portion 69Aa formed by bending wire material (metal wire material) into a substantially rectangular shape, a support bar 69Ab extending in the left-right direction at the center in the front-rear direction, a plurality of mounting bars 69Ac extending in the front-rear direction, and guides 69Ad provided on both sides in the width direction on the upper side of the shelf frame portion 69a. The width direction ends of the shelf frame portion 69Aa of the wire shelf 69A are supported between lower and upper rails 68Aa, 68Ab constituting the support rail 68A so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The guides 69Ad extend along the depth direction of the storage cage 60A, slightly inside the widthwise ends on both sides of the shelf frame portion 69Aa, and have the function of preventing the mesh shelf 69A from moving at an angle from side to side between the lower and upper rails 68Aa, 68Ab by engaging with the inner part of the storage cage 60A on the upper rail 68Ab when the mesh shelf 69A is slid back and forth between the lower and upper rails 68Aa, 68Ab.

[0079] Handles 70A are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the storage cage 60A, and are used to lift the storage cage 60A. The handles 70A are provided so that they can be held above the surface of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 when the storage cage 60A is immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. The handles 70A are made by bending a wire (metal wire) into a generally U-shape with an open bottom, and include a pair of front and rear uprights 70Aa that rise upward from the front and rear parts of the upper part of the storage cage 60A, and a handle 70Ab that extends between the upper end of the front uprights 70Aa and the rear uprights 70Aa and serves as a gripping portion to be held when lifting the storage cage 60A.

[0080] As shown in Figs. 24 to 26, the gripping portion 70Ab extends in the front-rear direction and is also used to place the upper storage cage 60A above the liquid level of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 when the storage cages 60A are stacked vertically in the freezing tank 20. A recess 70Ac recessed downward is formed in the rear of the gripping portion 70Ab, and the recess 70Ac formed in the gripping portion 70Ab has the function of engaging the rear leg 67A of the upper storage cage 60A when the storage cages 60A are stacked vertically, thereby tilting the upper storage cage 60A. When the rear leg 67A of the upper storage cage 60A is engaged, the opening 60Aa of the front part of the upper storage cage 60A, where the object to be frozen is placed, faces obliquely upward.

[0081] In the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 23, when two storage baskets 60A containing objects to be frozen are immersed in the cooled antifreeze liquid in the immersion area 20b of the freezing tank 20, the objects to be frozen in the storage baskets 60A are cooled by heat exchange with the antifreeze liquid circulating in the cooling area and the immersion area 20b. After the time required to freeze the objects to be frozen has elapsed, the front storage basket 60A is lifted by holding the gripping part 70Ab of the handle part 70A of the front storage basket 60A, and the front storage basket 60A is placed on the upper side of the handle part 70A of the rear storage basket 60A. The upper storage basket 60A is placed above the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20, and the antifreeze liquid adhering to the storage basket 60A and the objects to be frozen in the storage basket 60A falls into the freezing tank 20, and the falling antifreeze liquid is returned to the freezing tank 20.

[0082] As shown in Fig. 26, when the front and rear legs 67A constituting the bottom of the storage cage 60A lifted from the front side to the upper side of the rear storage cage 60A are placed on the upper side of the gripping portion 70Ab of the handle portion 70A, and the rear leg 67A is engaged with the recess 70Ac of the gripping portion 70Ab, the upper storage cage 60A is inclined so that the front side is higher than the rear side above the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. The antifreeze liquid adhering to the storage cage 60A and the objects to be frozen in the storage cage 60A is easily dropped from the rear side to the lower side, and the antifreeze liquid adhering to the objects to be frozen in the storage cage 60A and the storage cage 60A is easily drained. In addition, since the front side of the storage cage 60A is inclined so that it is higher than the rear side, the objects to be frozen are less likely to fall from the opening 60Aa formed on the front part of the storage cage 60A for putting in and taking out the objects to be frozen. After the antifreeze adhering to the storage cage 60A and the objects to be frozen within the storage cage 60A has been drained off, the frozen objects within the storage cage 60A are moved to a freezer for storage. When draining the antifreeze adhering to the lower storage cage 60A, another storage cage 60A is immersed in the freezing tank 20 and the storage cage 60A to be drained is placed above the other storage cage 60A, whereby the antifreeze can be drained off from the storage cage 60A and the objects to be frozen stored in the storage cage 60A as described above.

[0083] The liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment is equipped with a freezing tank 20 having an opening 20a on the upper surface within a housing 11 and freezing an object to be frozen with antifreeze liquid stored inside, and a storage basket 60A for storing the object to be frozen and immersing it in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. In the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment, a handle 70A is provided on the upper part of the storage basket 60A for lifting the storage basket 60A above the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20, and the storage baskets 60A can be stacked vertically by placing a leg 67A constituting the bottom of the storage basket 60A on the upper side of the handle 70A.

[0084] In the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment, the storage basket 60A arranged on the upper side can be placed on the handle part 70A of the storage basket 60A arranged on the lower side in a state inclined so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (the other side). In this second embodiment, the handle part 70A extends from the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) to the rear side (the other side) with the extension direction being such that a recess 70Ac is formed on the rear side (the other side) in the front-to-rear direction (extension direction) of the handle part 70A, which is recessed downward, and the rear leg part 67A constituting the bottom of the rear side (the other side in the horizontal direction) of the storage basket 60A arranged on the upper side is engaged with the recess 70Ac, thereby inclining the storage basket 60A arranged on the upper side so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (the other side).

[0085] When the storage cages 60A containing the objects to be frozen are lifted from the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 and placed on the handle 70A of the storage cage 60A arranged at the lower side in the freezing tank 20, and the rear leg 67A constituting the bottom of the upper storage cage 60A is engaged with the recess 70Ac of the handle 70A of the lower storage cage 60A, the upper storage cage 60A is inclined so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (the other side) above the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20. Not only can the antifreeze dripping from the upper storage cage 60A be returned to the freezing tank 20, but the antifreeze adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage cage 60A easily flows down from the rear side (the other side in the horizontal direction), and the antifreeze adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage cage 60A can be drained well. In addition, in this second embodiment of the liquid freezing apparatus 10, the legs 67A are placed on the top of the handle portion 70A as the bottom of the storage basket 60A located on the upper side, but this is not limited to this, and it is also possible to not provide the legs 67A on the bottom of the storage basket 60A, and instead engage the rear end of the bottom of the storage basket 60A with the recess 70Ac of the handle portion 70A of the storage basket 60A located below, and tilt the storage basket 60A located on the upper side so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (the other side).

[0086] In the liquid freezing apparatus 10 of the second embodiment, the storage basket 60A has an opening 60Aa formed on the front (one horizontal) side surface (front surface) for introducing and removing the object to be frozen. When the storage basket 60A is placed on the upper side of the handle 70A of the storage basket 60A arranged at the lower side in the freezing tank 20 and the storage baskets 60A are stacked up and down, the opening 60Aa for introducing and removing the object to be frozen into the upper storage basket 60A faces diagonally upward, so that the object to be frozen placed in the upper storage basket 60A is less likely to fall through the opening 60Aa.

[0087] In the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment described above, a recess 70Ac recessed downward is formed on the rear side (other side) of the handle part 70A in the front-rear direction (extension direction), and the rear leg part 67A constituting the bottom of the rear side (other side in the horizontal direction) of the storage basket 60 arranged on the upper side is engaged with the recess 70A, so that the storage basket 60A arranged on the upper side is inclined so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (other side). According to each modified example of the second embodiment shown below, the storage basket 60A arranged on the upper side may be placed on the upper side of the handle part 70A of the storage basket 60A arranged on the lower side in a state in which the storage basket 60A arranged on the upper side is inclined so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (other side).

[0088] (Variation 1) 27, in the liquid freezing apparatus 10 of the first modified example of the second embodiment, the handle portion 70A extends from the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) to the rear side (the other side), and is inclined so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) of the handle portion 70A is higher than the rear side (the other side). When the front and rear legs 67A constituting the bottom of the upper storage basket 60A are placed on the top of the handle portion 70A of the lower storage basket 60A, the upper storage basket 60A is placed on the top of the lower storage basket 60A in a state inclined so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (the other side) above the liquid level of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20.

[0089] (Variation 2) As shown in Fig. 28, in the liquid freezing device 10 of the second embodiment, the handle 70A extends in the front-rear direction from the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) to the rear side (the other side), and the bottom of the storage basket 60A is provided with legs 67A that extend in the left-right direction (intersecting direction) intersecting the front-rear direction (extension direction) at the front and rear parts (both sides in the front-rear direction) and are spaced apart from the placement surface. The legs 67A arranged at the rear part (the other side in the front-rear direction) have a recess 67Ab that is recessed upward at a position facing the handle 70A of the storage basket 60A arranged below, and the handle 70A of the storage basket 60A arranged below is engaged with the recess 67Ab, so that the storage basket 60A arranged above is placed above the lower storage basket 60A in a tilted state so that the front side (one side in the horizontal direction) is higher than the rear side (the other side).

[0090] In the second embodiment including the above-mentioned variants 1 and 2, the extension direction of handle portion 70A is in the front-to-rear direction from one side to the other in the horizontal direction, and leg portion 67A extends in the left-to-right direction as a cross direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) the horizontal direction which is the extension direction of handle portion 70A; however, this is not limited to this, and handle portion 70A may extend in the left-to-right direction from one side to the other in the horizontal direction, and leg portion 67A may extend in the front-to-rear direction as a cross direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) the horizontal direction which is the extension direction of handle portion 70A.

[0091] 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]

[0092] 10...liquid freezing device, 11...housing, 20...freezing tank, 20a...opening, 24d...hook, 60, 60A...storage basket, 67...support portion, 67A...leg portion, 67Ab...recess, 68...support rail, 68a...lower rail, upper rail, 69...wire shelf, 69c...guide, 70c...engagement portion, 70A...handle portion, 70Ac...recess.

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 liquid freezing device comprising: a storage basket for storing the object to be frozen and immersing it in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank; A liquid freezing apparatus characterized in that a hook is provided at an opening of the freezing tank to support the storage basket by engaging with a locking portion provided at a lower portion of the storage basket.

2. 2. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1, The hooks are provided on both sides of the opening of the freezing tank that face each other in a horizontal direction, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the locking portions are provided on both horizontal sides of the lower part of the storage basket so as to be rotatable outward.

3. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1 or 2, a freezing tank for freezing a liquid in a liquid freezing apparatus, the freezing tank having an opening which is provided with an inclined portion inclined obliquely upward and outward from both side surfaces of the freezing tank which are opposed in the horizontal direction, the hook being provided on the inclined portion.

4. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1 or 2, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the storage basket is supported by the hooks so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other side.

5. 5. The liquid freezing device according to claim 4, the hooks are disposed at the same height on both sides of the opening of the freezing tank that are opposed to each other in the horizontal direction, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the locking portion is supported by the hooks so that one side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the hooks face is lower than the other side, thereby supporting the storage basket so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other.

6. 5. The liquid freezing device according to claim 4, the hooks are disposed at the same height on both sides of the opening of the freezing tank that are opposed to each other in the horizontal direction, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the locking portion supports the storage basket by the hooks so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other side by making one side of the storage basket lower in the direction in which the hooks face than the other.

7. 5. The liquid freezing device according to claim 4, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the hooks are arranged on both horizontally opposing sides of the opening of the freezing tank, one at a higher position than the other, so that the storage basket is supported by the hooks so that one side is higher than the other in the horizontal direction.

8. 5. The liquid freezing device according to claim 4, The liquid freezing device is characterized in that the hooks are arranged on both horizontally opposing sides of the opening of the freezing tank so that one side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the hooks face is higher than the other side, thereby supporting the storage basket by the hooks so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other.

9. 2. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1, The storage cage includes an opening on one side in the horizontal direction through which frozen items can be put in and out, a wire shelf that can be put in and out from the opening and that allows the frozen items to be arranged vertically in multiple tiers within the storage cage, support rails on both sides of the width direction of the opening within the storage cage that support the width direction ends of the wire shelf so that they can slide in a depth direction perpendicular to the width direction and the horizontal direction, and a support portion that is arranged on the outside of the support rails, the support rail includes a lower rail that supports the lower side of the widthwise end of the wire shelf, and an upper rail that restricts the movement of the upper side of the wire shelf in the widthwise direction, A liquid freezing device characterized in that at least one of the upper and lower sides of the mesh shelf is provided with guides on both sides of the width direction of the opening that engage with the inner side of the support rail in the width direction to guide the mesh shelf in the depth direction.

10. 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 liquid freezing device comprising: a storage basket for storing the object to be frozen and immersing it in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank; A handle is provided at the top of the storage basket to lift the storage basket above the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank, and the storage baskets can be stacked up and down by placing the bottom of the storage basket on the handle, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the storage basket arranged on the upper side can be placed on the upper side of the handle portion of the storage basket arranged on the lower side with the storage basket arranged on the upper side tilted so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other.

11. 11. The liquid freezing device according to claim 10, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the storage basket has an opening formed on one side in the horizontal direction for inserting and removing the object to be frozen.

12. 12. The liquid freezing device according to claim 10 or 11, The handle portion extends from one side in the horizontal direction to the other side in the extension direction, and a recess that is recessed downward is formed on the other side of the extension direction of the handle portion, so that the bottom of the other horizontal side of the storage basket positioned above can be engaged with the recess, thereby making it possible to place the storage basket positioned above on the upper side of the handle portion of the storage basket positioned below in a state where the storage basket positioned above is tilted so that one horizontal side is higher than the other horizontal side.

13. 12. The liquid freezing device according to claim 10 or 11, The handle portion extends from one side to the other in the horizontal direction, and is inclined so that one horizontal end of the handle portion is higher than the other, so that the storage basket located above can be placed on top of the handle portion of the storage basket located below in a state where the storage basket is inclined so that one horizontal end is higher than the other. This liquid freezing device is characterized by the above.

14. 12. The liquid freezing device according to claim 10 or 11, The handle portion extends from one side to the other side in the horizontal direction, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the bottom of the storage basket is provided with legs on both sides in the extension direction, extending in a direction intersecting the extension direction and spaced apart from the placement surface, and the leg located on the other side in the extension direction has a recess that is recessed upward at a position opposite the handle portion, so that the handle portion of the storage basket located below can be engaged with the recess, thereby making it possible to place the storage basket located above the handle portion of the storage basket located below in a state where the storage basket located above is tilted so that one side in the horizontal direction is higher than the other.

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