Cooler storage

Abstract

To provide a cooler storage allowed to improve the effect of cooling by a cold-keeping agent.SOLUTION: A cooler storage 100 comprises a cool chamber 1 that is provided internally of a heat-insulative box body 20, a cold-keeping agent 2 that is arranged on an inner surface of the cool chamber 1, a metallic heat-transfer member 3 that includes a base part 4 abutting against the cold-keeping agent 2 on the inner surface of the cool chamber 1 and a protrusion 5 projecting toward a center of the cool chamber 1 from the base part 4 and is for increasing the area of heat transfer with air internal of the cool chamber 1, and a support part 10 that is provided to support the heat-transfer member 3 on the inner surface of the cool chamber 1, formed closer to the center within the cool chamber 1 and includes a first opening 12 to expose the protrusion 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator having a refrigerator compartment and a cooling agent. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a refrigerator equipped with a cold storage compartment and a cold storage agent is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a panel container (refrigerated storage) having a storage space (refrigerated compartment) for storing loads therein. The panel container includes a top panel, side panels, and a bottom panel. A heat storage material storage section is attached to the inner surface of the top panel. The heat storage material storage section has gaps therein capable of storing a heat storage material (cold storage agent). The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses that the heat storage material storage section is formed from a fabric or mesh structure material with many gaps to facilitate the transfer of cold air and heat from the heat storage material to the storage space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-142572 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the panel container (refrigerator) of Patent Document 1, the storage space (refrigerated chamber) in which the heat storage material storage unit is provided is a space for storing cargo, so it is difficult to secure a large space for the heat storage material storage unit in the storage space. Therefore, it is not possible to store a large amount of heat storage material (refrigerant) in the heat storage material storage unit, and the storage space may not be sufficiently cooled. Therefore, there is a demand for improving the cooling effect of the refrigerant in the refrigerator.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a cool storage unit that can improve the cooling effect of a cold storage material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cooler according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a cooler chamber provided inside an insulated box body, a cold storage material arranged on the inner surface of the cooler chamber, a metal heat transfer member including a base portion abutting the cold storage material on the inner surface of the cooler chamber and a protrusion portion protruding from the base portion toward the center of the cooler chamber, for increasing the heat transfer area with the air inside the cooler chamber, and a support portion provided on the inner surface of the cooler chamber to support the heat transfer member, formed toward the center of the cooler chamber and including a first opening portion exposing the protrusion portion.

[0008] As described above, the cooler according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base portion that contacts the refrigerant, a protruding portion that protrudes from the base portion toward the center of the cooler chamber, a metal heat transfer member for expanding the heat transfer area with the air in the cooler chamber, and a support portion that is provided to support the heat transfer member, is formed on the center side of the cooler chamber, and includes a first opening that exposes the protruding portion. By providing the metal heat transfer member that includes the base portion and the protruding portion and for expanding the heat transfer area with the air in the cooler chamber, the surface area of ​​the heat transfer member can be expanded by the protruding portion, so that the amount of heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the cooler chamber can be increased without increasing the amount of the refrigerant. In addition, by providing the support portion that is provided on the inner surface of the cooler chamber to support the heat transfer member and includes a first opening that exposes the protruding portion, the heat transfer member can be supported by the support portion with the protruding portion for expanding the heat transfer area exposed from the first opening toward the center of the cooler chamber. As a result, the cooling effect of the refrigerant in the cooler chamber can be improved.

[0009] In the cooling device according to the above aspect, the support part preferably further includes a base support part that supports an area of ​​the base part where the protrusion part is not provided around the first opening. With this configuration, the base part can be reliably supported by the base support part while the protrusion part is exposed from the first opening to the center side of the cooling chamber.

[0010] In the cold storage device according to the above aspect, preferably, the support part is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber, and the lower surface of the base part of the heat transfer member abuts on the support part due to the weight of the heat transfer member, thereby supporting the heat transfer member on the support part. With this configuration, the support part is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber, so that the cold storage agent is likely to abut on the base part of the heat transfer member due to its own weight. Therefore, the heat transfer performance from the cold storage agent to the heat transfer member can be improved. Furthermore, the support part is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber, so that a cold air flow in the cold storage chamber is formed substantially vertically downward from the upper part to the lower part of the cold storage chamber due to natural convection. Therefore, the cooling effect of the cold storage agent can be further improved. Furthermore, since the lower surface of the base part naturally abuts on the support part due to its own weight, the lower surface of the base part can be easily abutted on the support part, and there is no need to provide a separate member for abutment. Therefore, the heat transfer member can be easily supported by the support part without increasing the number of parts.

[0011] In the cold storage device according to the above aspect, preferably, the support part further includes a storage part that stores the cold storage agent and the base part, and a second opening that opens in a direction different from the first opening and through which the cold storage agent and the heat transfer member can be inserted into the storage part. With this configuration, the heat transfer member can be easily inserted into the storage part through the second opening that opens in a direction different from the first opening, and the base part can be supported by the support part while the protruding part is exposed from the first opening.

[0012] In the above-mentioned configuration in which the support portion is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber, preferably, a sheet-like first sheet member is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber, and the support portion includes a sheet-like second sheet member, and the second sheet member is fixed to the first sheet member on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber. With this configuration, the sheet-like sheet members on the support portion and the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber are fixed to each other, so that the first sheet member also deforms in response to the deformation of the second sheet member due to the load of the cold storage agent and the heat transfer member. Therefore, it is possible to suppress separation of the second sheet member and the first sheet member.

[0013] In this case, preferably, the support portion is provided between the first sheet member and the second sheet member and further includes a third sheet member having a strength greater than that of the second sheet member, the third sheet member being sewn and fixed to the first sheet member, and the second sheet member being sewn and fixed to the first sheet member via the third sheet member. With this configuration, the second sheet member is sewn to the first sheet member via the third sheet portion having a strength greater than that of the second sheet member, so that stress generated in the third sheet member and the first sheet member due to the load of the metal heat transfer member supported by the second sheet member can be dispersed more than when the second sheet member is directly sewn to the first sheet member. Therefore, the mechanical strength of the support portion and the first sheet member can be increased.

[0014] In the above-mentioned configuration in which the support part is open in a direction different from the first opening and includes a second opening into which the cold storage agent and the heat transfer member can be inserted into the storage part, the support part preferably further includes a lid part capable of opening and closing the second opening. With this configuration, the lid part is opened before the cold storage agent and the heat transfer member are stored in the storage part from the second opening, and the second opening is closed by the lid part after the cold storage agent and the heat transfer member are stored in the storage part, thereby preventing the cold storage agent stored in the storage part from falling out of the second opening. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to provide a cooler capable of improving the cooling effect of the ice storage material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of a cooler according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external appearance of a cooler according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the placement of a cooler. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal structure of a cooler. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a support portion. [Figure 7] 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining a corner support portion of the support part. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the fixing of the support part to the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between cooling time and cooling temperature in a refrigerator of an example according to one embodiment and a refrigerator of a comparative example. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of a cooler according to a modified example of one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] A cooler 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.

[0019] (Overview of the cooler) As shown in FIG. 1, the cool storage box 100 includes a cool storage compartment 1 provided inside a thermally insulated box 20. The cool storage box 100 keeps the cool storage compartment 1 cold without a power source during cold storage by arranging frozen refrigerant 2 (see FIG. 4(a)) in a storage section 11 (see FIG. 4(a)) provided on the inside upper surface of the cool storage compartment 1. The cool storage box 100 keeps the cool storage compartment 1 cold from a refrigeration temperature zone for refrigerated cold storage to a freezing temperature zone for frozen cold storage, depending on the type of refrigerant 2 used. In the case of refrigerated cold storage, a refrigerating refrigerant 2 is used. In the case of frozen cold storage, a freezing refrigerant 2 with a melting point lower than that of the refrigerating refrigerant 2 is used.

[0020] Refrigerator 100 has an opening 7 on the front side, and is also provided with so-called double-hinged doors (front heat insulating member 26) for opening and closing opening 7, as shown in Fig. 2. When at least one of the double doors is open, an object to be kept cold can be carried into or removed from cold storage chamber 1 inside cooler 100. When both double doors are closed, an object to be kept cold in cold storage chamber 1 can be kept cold. Each of the double doors (front heat insulating member 26) is provided with a handle 26a for opening and closing the double doors.

[0021] The refrigerated storage 100 is used, for example, by a logistics business operator. The refrigerated storage 100 is placed, for example, on a vehicle, a ship, an aircraft, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or a railway vehicle. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerated storage 100 is placed on a vehicle. As an example, three refrigerated storages 100 are placed in the rear space of a light freight vehicle 200. The first refrigerated storage 101 is placed in the rear space of the light freight vehicle 200 such that the front side of the first refrigerated storage 101 faces a flip-up door (back door 201) provided on the rear side of the vehicle. When the back door 201 of the light freight vehicle 200 is opened, the first refrigerated storage 101 can open and close the double doors on the front side. In addition, when the double doors are open, a user can carry an object to be kept cool into the refrigerated storage room 1 and carry it out of the refrigerated storage room 1.

[0022] The second refrigerated storage 102 is placed in the rear space of the light freight vehicle 200 so that the front side of the second refrigerated storage 102 faces a sliding door (slide door 202) provided on the left side of the rear side of the vehicle. When the slide door 202 on the left side of the light freight vehicle 200 is opened, at least the left door from the user's perspective of the double doors on the front side of the second refrigerated storage 102 can be opened and closed. Furthermore, when the double doors on the left side are open, the user can carry objects to be kept refrigerated into and out of the refrigerated storage chamber 1.

[0023] The third refrigerated storage 103 is placed in the rear space of the light freight vehicle 200 so that the front side of the third refrigerated storage 103 faces a sliding door (slide door 202) provided on the right side of the rear side of the vehicle. When the slide door 202 on the right side of the light freight vehicle 200 is opened, the third refrigerated storage 103 can open and close at least the right door as seen from the user out of the double doors on the front side. Furthermore, when the double door on the right side is in the open state, the user can carry an object to be kept refrigerated into and out of the refrigerated storage chamber 1.

[0024] (Overall configuration of the cooler) As shown in FIG. 1, the cooler 100 includes a cooler compartment 1, a cold storage material 2 (see FIG. 4(a)), a heat transfer member 3, and a support portion .

[0025] The cold storage compartment 1 is a space provided inside the heat-insulating box 20. The cold storage compartment 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape when the double doors are closed. In the cold storage compartment 1, delivery items and the like as objects to be kept cold are placed.

[0026] The insulating box 20 has an opening 7 on the front side. The insulating box 20 is formed of a plurality of insulating members. In the present embodiment, as an example, the insulating box 20 is formed of an upper insulating member 21 forming the upper surface of the insulating box 20, a lower insulating member 22 forming the lower surface of the insulating box 20, a left side insulating member 23 forming the left side of the insulating box 20, a right side insulating member 24 forming the right side of the insulating box 20, a rear insulating member 25 forming the rear surface of the insulating box 20, and two front insulating members 26 forming the front surface of the insulating box 20 and functioning as double doors for opening and closing the opening 7 of the insulating box 20.

[0027] The multiple heat insulating members forming the heat insulating box 20 are fixed to each other by a fastening member 30 (see FIG. 2). The fastening member 30 includes, for example, a magnet or a hook-and-loop fastener. The front heat insulating member 26 is configured to be able to open and close the opening 7 of the heat insulating box 20 by folding and unfolding the hook-and-loop fastener as the fastening member 30 fixed to each of the left side heat insulating member 23 and the right side heat insulating member 24. The front heat insulating member 26 is configured to be able to keep the opening 7 of the heat insulating box 20 closed by abutting against the top heat insulating member 21 via the fastening member 30. Since the heat insulating box 20 is formed by fastening multiple heat insulating members with the fastening member 30, a metal frame for forming the heat insulating box 20 is not necessary. Therefore, the weight of the cooler 100 can be reduced compared to the cooler 100 including a metal frame.

[0028] The object to be kept cold that has been brought into the cold storage chamber 1 is placed on the upper surface of the bottom heat insulating member 22. The upper surface of the bottom heat insulating member 22 is provided with convex portions 31 that extend from the front side to the rear side and are arranged at a predetermined interval from the left side to the right side. That is, the upper surface of the bottom heat insulating member 22 is formed in a slatted shape. Here, water vapor in the air in the cold storage chamber 1 may condense and become water droplets and adhere to the surface of the placed object to be kept cold. The adhered water droplets may accumulate on the upper surface of the bottom heat insulating member 22 and permeate the lower surface of the object to be kept cold. Therefore, by forming the upper surface of the bottom heat insulating member 22 in a slatted shape, the object to be kept cold can be placed on the convex portions 31 and the water droplets can accumulate in the recesses between the adjacent convex portions 31 on the upper surface of the bottom heat insulating member 22. As a result, it is possible to prevent water droplets accumulating in the recessed portion from coming into contact with the underside of the object to be kept cool when it is placed on the convex portion 31 of the lower surface insulation member 22, thereby preventing water droplets from penetrating into the underside of the object to be kept cool.

[0029] Furthermore, fixing members 29 (see FIG. 2) are provided on the outer lower surface of bottom insulation member 22. Refrigerator 100 is fixed inside a movable body or on the outer surface of a movable body by fixing members 29. Fixing members 29 include, for example, hook-and-loop fasteners. Fixing members 29 are provided, for example, at the four corners of the outer lower surface of bottom insulation member 22.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4(a), each of the multiple heat insulating members includes a core material 27 and a first sheet member 28. The core material 27 includes, for example, a vacuum heat insulating material and a foam heat insulating material. For example, polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam is used as the foam heat insulating material. The material of the core material 27 is not particularly limited.

[0031] The first sheet member 28 is formed so as to cover the core material 27. The first sheet member 28 has a sheet shape. For example, an aluminum vapor deposition sheet or the like is used as the first sheet member 28. The material of the first sheet member 28 is not particularly limited.

[0032] The cold storage agent 2 is arranged on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1. At least one of the cold storage agent 2 for refrigeration and the cold storage agent 2 for freezing is arranged according to the desired cold storage temperature zone. One or more cold storage agents 2 are arranged. The cold storage agent 2 is accommodated in the accommodation section 11 of the support section 10. In the accommodation section 11, the cold storage agent 2 abuts against the base section 4 of the heat transfer member 3. As long as the cold storage agent 2 abuts against the base section 4 of the heat transfer member 3, the position of the cold storage agent 2 in the accommodation section 11 is not particularly limited. In addition, the internal air flow of the cold storage chamber 100 is mainly natural convection driven by the temperature difference between the air near the heat transfer member 3 to which the cold storage agent 2 is abutted on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1 and the air near the inner lower surface of the cold storage chamber 1. That is, the air flow inside the cold storage chamber 100 is formed by natural convection in a substantially vertical downward direction from the upper part to the lower part of the cold storage chamber 1.

[0033] The heat transfer member 3 is disposed on the inner upper surface of the cold storage compartment 1. The heat transfer member 3 is configured to increase the heat transfer area with the air inside the cold storage compartment 1. The heat transfer member 3 includes a base portion 4 and a protrusion portion 5.

[0034] The base portion 4 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 11 of the support portion 10. The base portion 4 has a rectangular plate shape. The refrigerant 2 is placed in contact with the upper surface of the base portion 4. A protrusion 5 is formed on the lower surface of the base portion 4.

[0035] The protrusion 5 is configured to increase the heat transfer area with the air inside the cold storage compartment 1. The protrusion 5 is formed so as to protrude from the base 4 toward the center of the cold storage compartment 1. The protrusions 5 extend from the left side surface to the right side surface on the underside of the base 4, and are arranged at a predetermined interval from the front side to the rear side. The protrusions 5 are arranged so as to be exposed from a first opening 12 of the support part 10.

[0036] The protrusions 5 are, for example, a plurality of fins. In order to efficiently perform the cold storage by the cold storage agent 2, it is effective to increase the surface area of ​​the cold storage agent 2. In this embodiment, instead of increasing the surface area of ​​the cold storage agent 2, the surface area of ​​the heat transfer member 3 is increased by the fins, thereby increasing the amount of heat exchange between the cold storage agent 2 and the air. In order to increase the surface area of ​​the heat transfer member 3, if the pitch p (see FIG. 4(b)) of the adjacent fins is excessively small or the height h (see FIG. 4(b)) of the fins is excessively high, there is a problem that the air viscosity acts strongly between the adjacent fins and obstructs the air flow. In consideration of the above problem, the ratio of the pitch p of the adjacent fins to the height h of the fins is preferably, for example, 1:1 as a shape that maximizes the effective heat transfer coefficient. However, the height h of the fins may be slightly higher than the pitch p of the adjacent fins. In addition, if the thickness t (see FIG. 4(b)) of the fins is small, the fin efficiency decreases, so the thickness t of the fins is preferably 0.5 mm or more. The size and pitch p of the fins as the protrusions 5 are not particularly limited.

[0037] The heat transfer member 3 is made of a metal material. As an example, the heat transfer member 3 is made of aluminum. However, the material of the heat transfer member 3 is not limited to aluminum, and may be, for example, copper or iron. The base portion 4 and the protruding portion 5 are integrally molded. However, the base portion 4 and the protruding portion 5 may be formed separately from each other and then joined to each other.

[0038] The support part 10 is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage compartment 1. The support part 10 is configured to support the heat transfer member 3 and the cold storage agent 2. The support part 10 includes a storage part 11, a first opening 12, a base support part 13, a second opening 14 (see FIG. 6), and a lid part 15. The base support part 13 and the lid part 15 are formed by a second sheet member 16. The support part 10 further includes a third sheet member 17. Although details will be described later, the second sheet member 16 of the support part 10 is sewn and fixed to the first sheet member 28 on the inner upper surface of the cold storage compartment 1 via the third sheet member 17. As an example, the second sheet member 16 is sewn to the first sheet member 28 via the third sheet member 17 using a polyester fiber thread 6 (see FIG. 8). The thread 6 used for sewing is not limited to the polyester fiber thread 6.

[0039] The storage section 11 is provided to store the refrigerant 2 and the base portion 4 of the heat transfer member 3. The storage section 11 is a storage space surrounded by a second sheet member 16 including a base support portion 13 and a lid portion 15, and the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1. In the storage section 11, a plurality of refrigerant agents 2 are placed in contact with the upper surface of the base portion 4.

[0040] The first opening 12 is provided so as to expose the protruding portion 5 of the heat transfer member 3 from the accommodation portion 11. The first opening 12 is formed in the support portion 10 so as to open toward the center side of the cold storage chamber 1. In this embodiment, the first opening 12 is formed in the support portion 10 so as to open facing downward.

[0041] The base support portion 13 is provided to support the heat transfer member 3 accommodated in the accommodation portion 11. The base support portion 13 is a portion surrounding the first opening 12. In this embodiment, the base support portion 13 has a frame shape (see FIG. 5). The base support portion 13 supports a range of the base portion 4 where the protruding portion 5 is not provided around the first opening 12. The lower surface of the base portion 4 abuts against the base support portion 13 due to the weight of the heat transfer member 3, so that the heat transfer member 3 is supported by the support portion 10. That is, the range of the base portion 4 of the heat transfer member 3 where the protruding portion 5 is not provided is supported by the base support portion 13, and the protruding portion 5 of the heat transfer member 3 protrudes from the first opening 12 toward the center of the cold storage chamber 1.

[0042] 7, the support part 10 including the base support portion 13 has corner support portions 18 formed in a pocket shape that support two of the four corners of the base part 4 having a rectangular plate shape, the two corners being located on the opposite side to the second opening 14. The corner support portions 18 formed in a pocket shape of the support part 10 support the two corners of the base part 4 so that each of them fits therein.

[0043] Further, a detachable member 19 (see FIG. 4(b)) is provided on the central side of the cool storage compartment 1 on the second opening 14 side of the base support part 13. In this embodiment, the detachable member 19 is provided on the lower part of the front side of the cool storage box 100 on the base support part 13. The detachable member 19 is configured to be detachable from the other end side of the lid part 15 described below. The detachable member 19 includes, for example, a magnet or a hook-and-loop fastener.

[0044] The second opening 14 (see FIG. 6) is provided so that the refrigerant 2 and the heat transfer member 3 can be inserted into the storage section 11. The second opening 14 is formed to open in a direction different from the first opening 12. As an example, the second opening 14 is formed in the support section 10 so as to open toward the double door side of the cool storage box 100. In this embodiment, the second opening 14 is formed in the support section 10 so as to open toward the front side of the cool storage box 100.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the lid 15 is provided so as to be able to open and close the second opening 14. One end of the lid 15 is fixed to the first sheet member 28 on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1. In this embodiment, the upper side of the lid 15 is fixed by sewing to the first sheet member 28 on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1. In addition, a detachable member 19 is provided on the other end of the lid 15. The detachable member 19 is configured to be detachable from a portion of the base support portion 13 of the support portion 10 opposite to the base portion 4. The detachable member 19 includes, for example, a magnet or a hook-and-loop fastener. The lid 15 is opened to open the second opening 14 by the user separating the detachable member 19 and lifting it upward. In the open state, the cold storage agent 2 and the heat transfer member 3 are inserted into the storage portion 11 from the second opening 14, and the cold storage agent 2 and the heat transfer member 3 stored in the storage portion 11 are taken out from the second opening 14. Furthermore, the lid portion 15 is brought into a closed state in which the second opening 14 is closed by the user abutting the detachable member 19 against the lid portion 15.

[0046] The second sheet member 16 of the support portion 10 is formed of, for example, a resin sheet, or a so-called polyester canvas made of polyester fabric, polyethylene fabric, polyester sheet, etc. In this embodiment, the second sheet member 16 is formed of polyester canvas No. 6. However, the material of the second sheet member 16 is not limited to polyester canvas No. 6.

[0047] The third sheet member 17 is fixed by sewing to the first sheet member 28. The third sheet member 17 is provided between the first sheet member 28 and the second sheet member 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the third sheet member 17 has a belt shape. The third sheet member 17 is provided in the first sheet member 28 on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1 at a position corresponding to a portion of the periphery of the second sheet member 16 excluding a portion along the second opening 14. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and (b), the third sheet member 17 is sewn to the first sheet member 28 by using a polyester fiber thread 6 as an example. Note that the thread 6 used for sewing is not limited to the polyester fiber thread 6. In addition, in FIG. 8(a), the second sheet member 16 and the third sheet member 17 are illustrated by hatching for convenience of explanation.

[0048] The third sheet member 17 is formed of a material stronger than the first sheet member 28 and the second sheet member 16. The third sheet member 17 is, for example, a belt made of polypropylene. Note that the material of the third sheet member 17 is not limited to polypropylene, and any material stronger than the first sheet member 28 and the second sheet member 16 can be used as appropriate.

[0049] (Fixing the support part to the inner top surface of the cold storage compartment) The third sheet member 17 is fixed by sewing to the first sheet member 28 along the extension direction of the band-shaped third sheet member 17 at an inner portion 17a located inside the storage portion 11 of the support part 10 and an outer portion 17b located outside the storage portion 11. Moreover, the third sheet member 17 is not sewn to the core material 27 of the heat insulating member.

[0050] The second sheet member 16 is sewn and fixed to the first sheet member 28 via the third sheet member 17 along the periphery of the first opening 12 between an inner portion 17a and an outer portion 17b of the third sheet member 17 sewn to the first sheet member 28. In addition, the second sheet member 16 is not sewn to the core material 27 of the heat insulating member.

[0051] The second sheet member 16 is preferably sewn to the third sheet member 17 and the first sheet member 28 at approximately the center between the inner portion 17a and the outer portion 17b sewn to the first sheet member 28 of the third sheet member 17. By setting the sewing position of the second sheet member 16 to approximately the center between the inner portion 17a and the outer portion 17b of the third sheet member 17, stress generated in the third sheet member 17 and the first sheet member 28 due to the load of the heat transfer member 3 supported by the second sheet member 16 can be more dispersed than when the sewing position is set near the periphery of the inner portion 17a of the third sheet member 17 or near the periphery of the outer portion 17b of the third sheet member 17.

[0052] (Comparison between a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention and a refrigerator according to a comparative example) Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between elapsed time and cooling temperature in the refrigerator 100 of the example according to this embodiment and the refrigerator of the comparative example. The refrigerator 100 of the example and the refrigerator of the comparative example are different in that the refrigerator of the example is equipped with a heat transfer member 3, whereas the refrigerator of the comparative example is not equipped with a heat transfer member. In Fig. 9, the graph of the example is shown by a solid line, and the graph of the comparative example is shown by a dashed line. In addition, the comparison test of the example and the comparative example was performed in both cases with an ambient temperature of 35 degrees, a freezing temperature of the cold storage agent 2 of minus 31 degrees, and an amount of the cold storage agent 2 of 3 kg.

[0053] The time from when the refrigerant 2 was placed in the cold storage compartment 1 until the temperature inside the cold storage compartment 1 dropped to 0°C was shortened by about 30% at elapsed time t1 in the example compared to elapsed time t2 in the comparative example. Also, the cooling temperature of the cold storage compartment 1 was about 5°C lower in the example at elapsed time t3 compared to the comparative example. These results show that the cooling effect of the refrigerant 2 was improved in the example compared to the comparative example.

[0054] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0055] In this embodiment, as described above, the cooling device includes the base portion 4 that contacts the cooling storage agent 2, the protruding portion 5 that protrudes from the base portion 4 toward the center of the cold storage chamber 1, the metal heat transfer member 3 for expanding the heat transfer area with the air in the cold storage chamber 1, and the support portion 10 that is provided to support the heat transfer member 3, is formed on the center side of the cold storage chamber 1, and includes the first opening portion 12 that exposes the protruding portion 5. Thus, by providing the metal heat transfer member 3 that includes the base portion 4 and the protruding portion 5 for expanding the heat transfer area with the air in the cold storage chamber 1, the surface area of ​​the heat transfer member 3 can be expanded by the protruding portion 5, so that the amount of heat exchange between the cooling storage agent 2 and the air in the cold storage chamber 1 can be increased without increasing the amount of the cooling storage agent 2. In addition, by providing the support portion 10 that is provided to support the heat transfer member 3 on the inner surface of the cold storage chamber 1 and includes the first opening portion 12 that exposes the protruding portion 5, the heat transfer member 3 can be supported by the support portion 10 in a state in which the protruding portion 5 for expanding the heat transfer area is exposed from the first opening portion 12 to the center side of the cold storage chamber 1. As a result, the cooling effect of the ice storage material 2 in the cooler 100 can be improved.

[0056] In this embodiment, as described above, the support part 10 further includes a base support part 13 that supports the area of ​​the base part 4 where the protrusion part 5 is not provided around the first opening part 12. This allows the base part 4 to be reliably supported by the base support part 13 while exposing the protrusion part 5 from the first opening part 12 to the center side of the cold storage compartment 1.

[0057] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the support portion 10 is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1, and the lower surface of the base portion 4 of the heat transfer member 3 abuts against the support portion 10 due to the weight of the heat transfer member 3, so that the heat transfer member 3 is supported by the support portion 10. As a result, since the support portion 10 is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1, the cold storage agent 2 is easily abutted against the base portion 4 of the heat transfer member 3 due to its own weight. Therefore, the heat transfer performance from the cold storage agent 2 to the heat transfer member 3 can be improved. Also, since the support portion 10 is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1, a cold air flow in the cold storage chamber is formed by natural convection from the upper portion to the lower portion of the cold storage chamber 1 in a substantially vertical downward direction. Therefore, the cooling effect of the cold storage agent 2 can be further improved. Also, since the lower surface of the base portion 4 naturally abuts against the support portion 10 due to its own weight, the lower surface of the base portion 4 can be easily abutted against the support portion 10, and there is no need to provide a separate member for abutment. Therefore, the heat transfer member 3 can be supported by the supporting portion 10 easily and without increasing the number of parts.

[0058] In this embodiment, as described above, the support part 10 further includes the accommodation part 11 that accommodates the cold storage material 2 and the base part 4, and the second opening 14 that opens in a direction different from the first opening 12 and through which the cold storage material 2 and the heat transfer member 3 can be inserted into the accommodation part 11. This makes it possible to easily accommodate the heat transfer member 3 in the accommodation part 11 by inserting it from the second opening 14 that opens in a direction different from the first opening 12, and also makes it possible to support the base part 4 on the support part 10 while exposing the protrusion 5 from the first opening 12.

[0059] In this embodiment, as described above, a sheet-like first sheet member 28 is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1, and the support portion 10 includes a sheet-like second sheet member 16, which is fixed to the first sheet member 28 on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber 1. As a result, the sheet-like sheet members on the inner upper surface of the support portion 10 and the cold storage chamber 1 are fixed to each other, and the first sheet member 28 also deforms in response to the deformation of the second sheet member 16 due to the load of the cold storage agent 2 and the heat transfer member 3. Therefore, separation of the second sheet member 16 and the first sheet member 28 can be suppressed.

[0060] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the support portion 10 is provided between the first sheet member 28 and the second sheet member 16 and further includes a third sheet member 17 having a strength greater than that of the second sheet member 16, the third sheet member 17 is sewn and fixed to the first sheet member 28, and the second sheet member 16 is sewn and fixed to the first sheet member 28 via the third sheet member 17. As a result, the second sheet member 16 is sewn to the first sheet member 28 via the third sheet portion having a strength greater than that of the second sheet member 16, so that the stress generated in the third sheet member 17 and the first sheet member 28 due to the load of the metal heat transfer member 3 supported by the second sheet member 16 can be dispersed compared to the case where the second sheet member 16 is directly sewn to the first sheet member 28. Therefore, the mechanical strength of the support portion 10 and the first sheet member 28 can be increased.

[0061] In this embodiment, as described above, the support part 10 further includes the lid part 15 capable of opening and closing the second opening 14. With this, by opening the lid part 15 before accommodating the cold storage agent 2 and the heat transfer member 3 into the accommodation part 11 from the second opening 14, and closing the second opening 14 with the lid part 15 after accommodating the cold storage agent 2 and the heat transfer member 3 in the accommodation part 11, it is possible to prevent the cold storage agent 2 accommodated in the accommodation part 11 from falling out of the second opening 14.

[0062] (Modification) The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0063] For example, in the above embodiment, the cool storage has an opening on the front side and is provided with a double-hinged door that opens from both sides to open and close the opening, which is a front heat insulating member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, in addition to the double door that is a front heat insulating member 26, a cool storage 104 may be provided with a cool air outflow suppression unit 8 on the cool storage compartment 1 side of the double door for suppressing the outflow of cool air.

[0064] As described above, the cold air current inside the cool storage compartment is formed by natural convection from the top to the bottom of the cool storage compartment 1 in a substantially vertically downward direction, and the cold air tends to accumulate near the floor of the cool storage compartment 1. The cold air accumulated near the floor of the cool storage compartment 1 may flow out to the outside when the double doors are opened to carry an object to be kept cold into the cool storage compartment 1 or to carry an object to be kept cold out of the cool storage compartment 1. Therefore, after the opened double doors are closed, the temperature of the cool storage compartment 1 may rise. Therefore, in the modified example, the cold air outflow suppression section 8 is provided on the front side of the heat-insulating box body 20, closer to the cool storage compartment 1 than the double doors.

[0065] The cold air outflow suppression portion 8 is formed of a plate-shaped member. As an example, the cold air outflow suppression portion 8 has the same height as the height of the convex portion 31 formed in a slatted shape on the upper surface of the lower heat insulating member 22. This allows the space surrounded by the cold air outflow suppression portion 8 and the recess between the adjacent convex portions 31 on the upper surface of the lower heat insulating member 22 to be used as a cold air reservoir, and when the double doors are opened, the cold air outflow suppression portion 8 can suppress the cold air accumulated in the space between the adjacent convex portions 31 of the lower heat insulating member 22 from leaking out to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the rise in temperature of the cold storage chamber 1 after the opened double doors are closed.

[0066] The height of the cold air outflow suppression part 8 may be higher than the height of the convex part 31 formed in a slatted shape on the upper surface of the lower surface insulation member 22. In this case, the cold air outflow suppression part 8 may be attached so that the upper end of the cold air outflow suppression part 8 falls downward toward the front side so that the opening 7 on the front side of the cool storage 100 can be fully opened when the double door is opened. In other words, the cold air outflow suppression part 8 may be attached so that it can change between a state in which the plate-shaped member extends along a substantially vertical direction and a state in which the plate-shaped member falls downward toward the front side. This allows a larger space surrounded by the cold air outflow suppression part 8, the left side surface insulation member 23, the right side surface insulation member 24, and the rear surface insulation member 25 to be used as a cold air reservoir, and prevents the cold air outflow suppression part 8 from interfering with the transport of the object to be kept cold into the cold storage chamber 1 or the transport of the object to be kept cold from the cold storage chamber 1. The method of attaching the cold air outflow suppression part 8 is not particularly limited.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the support portion is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage compartment, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support portion may be provided on the inner side surface or inner back surface of the cold storage compartment.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the support portion is provided with a base support portion that supports the lower surface of the base portion around the first opening, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of the base support portion, the support portion may include a hanging portion that suspends the upper surface of the base portion.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the support portion is provided with the third sheet member between the first sheet member and the second sheet member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the third sheet member does not have to be provided.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the third sheet member is made of a material stronger than the first sheet member and the second sheet member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the third sheet member may be made of a material weaker than the first sheet member, or the third sheet member may be made of a material weaker than the second sheet member.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the second sheet member is sewn and fixed to the first sheet member via the third sheet member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the second sheet member may be fixed to the third sheet member using a fixing device such as a stapler, and the third sheet member may be fixed to the first sheet member using a fixing device such as a stapler. For example, the second sheet member may be fixed to the third sheet member by adhesion, and the third sheet member may be fixed to the first sheet member by adhesion.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the second sheet member is sewn to the third sheet member and the first sheet member at approximately the center between the inner portion and the outer portion of the third sheet member sewn to the first sheet member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sewing position may be near the periphery of the inner portion of the third sheet member, or near the periphery of the outer portion of the third sheet member.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the support portion includes a lid portion that can open and close the second opening, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lid portion does not have to be provided.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the protrusion is a plurality of fins, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the protrusion may be a columnar protrusion protruding from the base toward the center of the cold storage compartment, or a conical or pyramidal protrusion protruding from the base toward the center of the cold storage compartment. The shape of the protrusion is not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Cold storage room 2. Ice pack 3 Heat transfer materials 4 Base 5 Protrusion 10 Support part 11 Storage unit 12 First opening 13 Base support part 14 Second opening 15 Lid 16 Second sheet member 17 Third sheet member 20 Insulated box 28 First sheet member 100, 104 Refrigerator

Claims

1. A cold storage chamber provided inside the insulated box; A cooling agent disposed on an inner surface of the cooling chamber; a metal heat transfer member including a base portion that contacts the refrigerant on the inner surface of the cold storage chamber and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the base portion toward the center of the cold storage chamber, the metal heat transfer member being for expanding a heat transfer area with the air in the cold storage chamber; a support portion provided on the inner surface of the cold storage chamber to support the heat transfer member, the support portion being formed toward the center of the cold storage chamber and including a first opening portion through which the protrusion is exposed.

2. The cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion further includes a base support portion that supports a region of the base portion where the protrusion is not provided, around the first opening.

3. The support portion is provided on an inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber, The cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the base portion of the heat transfer member abuts against the support portion due to the weight of the heat transfer member, thereby supporting the heat transfer member on the support portion.

4. The cool storage container according to claim 1, wherein the support portion further includes a storage portion that stores the ice storage material and the base portion, and a second opening that opens in a direction different from the first opening and through which the ice storage material and the heat transfer member can be inserted into the storage portion.

5. A sheet-shaped first sheet member is provided on the inner upper surface of the cold storage chamber, The support portion includes a second sheet member having a sheet shape, The cool storage box according to claim 3 , wherein the second sheet member is fixed to the first sheet member on the inner upper surface of the cool storage compartment.

6. The support portion further includes a third sheet member provided between the first sheet member and the second sheet member and having a strength greater than that of the second sheet member, The third sheet member is sewn and fixed to the first sheet member, The cooler according to claim 5 , wherein the second sheet member is sewn and fixed to the first sheet member via the third sheet member.

7. The cooler according to claim 4 , wherein the support portion further includes a lid portion capable of opening and closing the second opening.

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