Freezing and refrigeration show case

Abstract

To provide a freezing and refrigeration show case that can make an air quantity substantially even in a horizontal direction with respect to a front face of a door.SOLUTION: A freezing and refrigeration show case 1 includes: a body case 2 including an opening 2A at a front face; a door 4 for covering the opening 2A so as to be freely open and closed; and blower means 42 installed below the opening 2A of the body case 2 to blow air toward a front face of the door 4, where the blower means 42 is a cross flow fan 42 that is elongated in a horizontal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a freezer / refrigerator showcase. [Background technology]

[0002] Refrigerated and freezer showcases are installed in the food sections of supermarkets, convenience stores, department stores, etc., and daily necessities and fresh foods that require cooling are displayed on shelves in the product display area. Cold air is circulated through the product display area to keep the inside of the refrigerated and freezer showcase at a low temperature.

[0003] Some of these refrigerated and freezer showcases have a translucent door that can be opened and closed at the front opening, and by closing the door during normal times, the cold air inside the product display area is prevented from escaping to the outside while allowing the products to be viewed from the outside.However, in summer or in warm regions where there is a large temperature difference between the cooling compartment and the outside air, condensation occurs on the door of these refrigerated and freezer showcases, which can cause problems such as soiling the floor and surrounding items with the condensed water.

[0004] A technology for suppressing the occurrence of such condensation is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The freezer / refrigerator showcase disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a duct and an air blower disposed in the duct. The duct is provided with an air outlet at the top and an air intake at the bottom below the front opening. The air blower draws outside air into the duct through the air intake, and blows the air in the duct out the front of the door through the air outlet. This prevents air from accumulating in front of the door, and suppresses the occurrence of condensation on the front of the door. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-126158 A (Page 5, Figure 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the freezer / refrigerator showcase of Patent Document 1, multiple air blowers, which are propeller fans, are arranged at intervals on the left and right side of the showcase, so the amount of air blown to the front of the door varies from left to right, and there is a risk of unevenness in the areas where condensation is suppressed.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a freezer / refrigerator showcase capable of making the amount of airflow toward the front surface of the door approximately uniform in the left and right directions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a freezer / refrigerator showcase, A freezer / refrigerator showcase comprising a main body case having an opening on a front side, a door for freely opening and closing the opening, and a blower means provided below the opening of the main body case for blowing air toward the front side of the door, The blowing means is characterized in that it is a cross-flow fan that is long in the left-right direction. According to this feature, by using a cross-flow fan that is long in the left-right direction as the blowing means, the amount of air blown toward the front of the door can be made approximately uniform in the left-right direction, thereby preventing condensation from occurring evenly over a wide area of ​​the door.

[0009] a duct is provided on a lower front surface of the main body case to guide the air sent out from the cross flow fan toward the front surface of the door, The cross flow fan is detachably attached to the outside of the duct. According to this feature, since the cross flow fan is detachably attached to the outside of the duct, maintenance work for the cross flow fan can be easily performed.

[0010] the duct includes a lower front surface of the main body case and an exterior member attached to a front side of the lower front surface at a distance therefrom, The exterior member is characterized by covering a front surface of the cross flow fan. According to this feature, the exterior member prevents the cross flow fan from being exposed from the front side, thereby improving the appearance.

[0011] The cross flow fan is characterized in that it is attached to the rear side of the exterior member with a gap therebetween. According to this feature, when an external force is applied to the exterior member, the external force can be prevented from acting on the cross flow fan.

[0012] A buffer member is disposed in the gap between the cross flow fan and the exterior member. According to this feature, the buffer member can further suppress the external force acting on the cross flow fan.

[0013] The gap is characterized in that it is filled with the buffer member. According to this feature, the flow of air sent out from the cross flow fan becomes smooth. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a freezer / refrigerator showcase in an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing the structure of the refrigerated showcase. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerated showcase. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part showing the structure of the blower device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the cross flow fan as viewed from behind. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which air is being blown by a blower device. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of a cross flow fan. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of a freezer / refrigerator showcase. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A freezer / refrigerator showcase according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the following examples. EXAMPLES

[0016] The freezer / refrigerator showcase according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. In the following description, the left side of Fig. 2 is the front side (front side) of the freezer / refrigerator showcase, and the top, bottom, left and right directions when viewed from the front side are used as references. For ease of explanation, ducts are omitted in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, and cross-flow fans are shown in simplified form in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 and Fig. 8.

[0017] The refrigerated showcase 1 of this embodiment is installed in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc., to display products such as daily necessities and fresh foods in a refrigerated state. As shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerated showcase 1 is mainly composed of a case body 2 having a refrigerated compartment 20 in which products (not shown) are cooled and stored, side plates 3, 3' attached to both sides of the case body 2, a plurality of doors 4, 4, ... (four in this embodiment) that can open and close a front opening 2A of the case body 2, and a blower 40 provided at the lower front part of the case body 2.

[0018] 2, the case body 2 is composed of an outer box 21 with a heat-insulating structure, which is generally U-shaped when viewed from the side and has an open front (left side in the figure), and an inner box 22 arranged inside the outer box 21, which is also generally U-shaped when viewed from the side and has an open front, and the space inside the inner box 22 serves as a cold storage compartment 20. The rear ends of brackets 20b, 20b, ... extending forward and backward are attached to a rear portion 22a of the inner box 22, and shelf boards 20a, 20a, ... are disposed on the brackets 20b, 20b, .... Products (not shown) are displayed on the upper surfaces of the shelves 20a, 20a, ... and the bottom portion 22b of the inner box 22.

[0019] Between the outer box 21 and the inner box 22, a cold air circulation path 23 is formed, and an evaporator 24a and a blower 24b are installed on the vertical part and the horizontal bottom part of the cold air circulation path 23, respectively. The evaporator 24a is designed to cool the air around it. A heat insulating material 24c is provided on the front side of the evaporator 24a, and heat exchange between the evaporator 24a and the cold storage compartment 20 side via the inner box 22 is suppressed. A cold air outlet 23a communicating with the cold air circulation path 23 is formed diagonally downward toward the front on the front end side of the upper part of the case body 2, and a cold air inlet 23b opening upward is formed on the front end side of the lower part of the case body 2.

[0020] When the blower 24b is operated, the cold air cooled by the evaporator 24a flows upward in the cold air circulation path 23 as shown by the arrow, and is blown out from the cold air outlet 23a toward the lower intake 23b. This forms an air curtain 25 of cold air on the open front surface of the case body 2, and some of the cold air flows into the cold storage compartment 20, thereby keeping the displayed products cold.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the side plate 3 has a window 3a made of a glass plate, an acrylic plate or the like, and the inside of the refrigerator can be seen from the outside of the refrigerator through the window 3a.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the door 4 is composed of a glass plate portion 4a and a frame portion 4b fixed along the periphery of the plate portion 4a. The door 4 is attached to the upper and lower parts of the front end of the case body 2 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vertical direction. The plate portion 4a is translucent, so that the interior of the fridge can be seen from the front side even when the door 4 is closed. The material of the plate portion 4a is not limited to glass, and may be freely changed as long as it is a translucent panel. The door 4 may not be a pivoting type, but may be a sliding type, etc.

[0023] 2 to 4, the blower 40 is mainly composed of a duct 41 and a plurality of cross flow fans 42 (five in this embodiment, see FIG. 3) as blowing means. The number of cross flow fans 42 can be freely changed.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 4, the duct 41 is mainly composed of a lower front surface 2a of the case body 2, an exterior member 43 that is arranged forward of the lower front surface 2a of the case body 2, and a blocking member 44 that blocks the gap at the bottom between the lower front surface 2a of the case body 2 and the exterior member 43 with a buffer member 46 described later and to which the cross-flow fan 42 is attached.

[0025] The exterior member 43 has a front portion 43a extending substantially vertically and an upper surface portion 43b extending from the upper end of the front portion 43a to the rear side. A plurality of spacers (not shown) are arranged between the front portion 43a and the lower front surface 2a of the case body 2 at intervals in the left-right direction, so that a gap 41A between the front portion 43a and the lower front surface 2a of the case body 2 is secured.

[0026] The upper surface portion 43b extends to the lower front surface 2a of the case body 2 and defines the upper portion of the gap 41A. A plurality of air outlets 43c that penetrate vertically are formed in the upper surface portion 43b and aligned in the left-right direction. The air outlets 43c are disposed below the front surface of the door 4.

[0027] The blocking member 44 has a first piece 44a extending substantially vertically, a second piece 44b extending substantially horizontally from the lower end of the first piece 44a toward the front side, and a third piece 44c extending substantially vertically downward from the front end of the second piece 44b, and has a crank-shaped cross section. The blocking member 44 is fixed to a vertical piece 5a of a mounting member 5 having an inverted L-shape facing downward, which is attached to the lower surface 2b of the case body 2.

[0028] A plurality of openings 44d (five in this embodiment) penetrating vertically are formed at intervals in the left-right direction in the second piece 44b of the blocking member 44. The cross flow fan 42 is detachably attached below the second piece 44b with bolts and nuts, and the openings 44d are blocked by the cross flow fan 42. An outlet F of the cross flow fan 42, which will be described later, faces the opening 44d vertically. The air blown out from the outlet F flows upward inside the duct 41 through the openings 44d.

[0029] The third piece 44c of the blocking member 44 is disposed at a distance toward the rear side from the front portion 43a of the exterior member 43. A cushioning member 46 such as rubber is fixed to the front side of the third piece 44c, and the gap 41B between the third piece 44c and the front portion 43a of the exterior member 43 is blocked by the cushioning member 46. Note that the cushioning member 46 is not limited to rubber and can be freely changed to a synthetic resin, sponge, or the like.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, the cross flow fan 42 is mainly composed of a cover 421, an operating portion 422, and a front plate 423.

[0031] The cover 421 is molded from resin and is mainly composed of a substantially U-shaped cover body 421a, side plates 421b, 421b' that are arranged to sandwich the cover body 421a from the left and right and attached to the cover body 421a from the sides, and a substantially L-shaped partition member 421c that is attached to the upper front side of the cover body 421a. The cover body 421a has a number of slits S extending in the vertical direction, provided in two rows, one above the other, on the back plate of the cover body 421a and across the left and right curved portion between the back plate and the top plate, and is formed into three strips as a whole.

[0032] The operating section 422 is mainly composed of an impeller 422a, a casing 422c that supports the impeller 422a, and a drive unit 422b that includes a motor and a power cord that rotates the impeller 422a. The impeller 422a has a large axial dimension and is composed of a shaft 422d that is supported by the casing 422c, and fins 422e that extend radially from the shaft 422d. In addition, by pressing a power button P provided on the cover body 421a, the drive unit 422b is started and the impeller 422a rotates.

[0033] The front plate 423 is mainly composed of a louver 423a as an airflow direction directing mechanism and a gap adjustment plate 423b. The louver 423a is formed in a substantially L-shape and is attached to the back side of the front plate 423 so as to be able to swing. The gap adjustment plate 423b has a plurality of arc-shaped holes penetrating vertically in the left-right direction, which come into contact with the partition member 421c to define a gap which is the width of the air outlet F in the front-rear direction and prevent the user's fingertips from touching the operating part 422. The air outlet F is formed to extend in the left-right direction. The cover 421 is not limited to being made of resin and may be made of metal.

[0034] In this way, the cross-flow fan 42 is a cross-flow fan that blows air almost uniformly in the left-right direction, and the impeller 422a extending in the left-right direction rotates to blow outside air sucked in through the slit S of the cover body 421a from the outlet F above the front plate 423. The air blown out from the outlet F passes through the duct 41, which is a flow path formed between the cover 421 and the lower part of the case body 2, and is blown upward from the air outlet 43c. The louver 423a is accessible from above the front plate 423, and the end of the lower side of the louver 423a (see the enlarged partial view) is supported by a screw and can rotate left and right around the screw. By adjusting the direction of the louver 423a, the direction of the wind blown out from the impeller 422a can be adjusted, and the direction and range of the wind blown out from the cross-flow fan 42 to the outside can be adjusted.

[0035] 4 and 6, when the cross flow fan 42 is started, the impeller 422a rotates, sucking in outside air through the slits S (see FIG. 5) of the cover body 421a and blowing it out from the air outlet F. The air blown out from the air outlet F flows into the duct 41 from the opening 44d, and is blown along the front surface of the door 4 through the air outlet 43c. In other words, the duct 41 functions to guide the air blown out from the cross flow fan 42 toward the front surface of the door 4.

[0036] By continuously blowing outside air along the front surface of the door 4 using the air blower 40, air is constantly blown upward before the air stagnating near the front surface of the door 4 condenses, thereby preventing condensation from forming on the front surface of the door 4.

[0037] The cross flow fan 42 extends in the left-right direction and blows air uniformly in the left-right direction, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation evenly over a wide range in the left-right direction of the door 4, and also to make the installation space in front of and behind the cross flow fan 42 compact. Also, by adjusting the orientation of each of the louvers 423a, it is possible to focus airflow on areas where condensation is likely to occur, for example.

[0038] Moreover, the cross-flow fan 42 is detachably attached below the blocking member 44 that constitutes the duct 41, i.e., on the outside of the duct 41. This allows direct access to the cross-flow fan 42 from the outside, making it easy to carry out maintenance work, for example, when a malfunction occurs in the cross-flow fan 42, when adjusting the louvers 423a, or when switching the cross-flow fan 42 on and off.

[0039] In addition, the front side of the cross-flow fan 42 is covered by the front-side exterior member 43 that constitutes the duct 41, and is not visible from the front side, improving the appearance. Furthermore, the exterior member 43 can protect the cross-flow fan 42, which is located near the lower front surface 2a of the case body 2 where it is likely to come into contact with customers' legs, shopping carts, etc.

[0040] Furthermore, since the cross flow fan 42 is attached to the rear surface side of the exterior member 43 with the gap 41B therebetween, when an external force is applied to the exterior member 43, the external force acting on the cross flow fan 42 can be suppressed.

[0041] Furthermore, since a buffer member 46 is disposed in the gap 41B between the cross-flow fan 42 and the exterior member 43, when an external force is applied to the exterior member 43, the buffer member 46 absorbs the impact, effectively preventing the external force from acting on the cross-flow fan 42.

[0042] Furthermore, gap 41B between cross-flow fan 42 and exterior member 43 is closed by buffer member 46, preventing air from circulating between inside duct 41 and the outside through gap 41B, ensuring a smooth flow of air sent out from cross-flow fan 42. For example, a so-called short cycle is prevented in which air sent out from cross-flow fan 42 is exhausted to the outside of duct 41 through gap 41B, and then sucked back into cross-flow fan 42 to circulate.

[0043] In this embodiment, an example has been given of a configuration in which the blower device 40 is already installed in the refrigerated showcase 1, but this is not limited to this. For example, the duct 41 and the cross flow fan 42 may be retrofitted to an existing refrigerated showcase.

[0044] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described with an example in which five cross flow fans 42 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, it is also possible to use a single cross flow fan 242 that is long in the left-right direction, as shown in Fig. 7. This eliminates gaps between adjacent cross flow fans, making it possible to further suppress the occurrence of condensation evenly in the left-right direction.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0046] For example, in the above embodiment, the cross flow fan is detachably attached to the duct by means of bolts and nuts, but this is not limited to bolts and nuts, and magnets or the like may be used and any other modifications may be made.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the cross flow fan is disposed outside the duct, but it may be disposed inside the duct. In such a case, it is preferable to provide the duct with an inspection window that can be opened and closed.

[0048] In addition, in the above embodiment, a duct was provided to guide the air blown out from the cross-flow fan toward the front surface of the door, but the duct may be omitted and the outlet of the cross-flow fan may be positioned below the front surface of the door.

[0049] In the above embodiment, a configuration has been exemplified in which a plurality of cross flow fans are attached to one duct formed across the left-right direction, but a duct may be provided for each cross flow fan.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the lateral flow fan is a crossflow fan, but the lateral flow fan may be a blower (sirocco fan) having a long outlet port extending in the left-right direction.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the blower device is provided only on the lower front part of the case body, but as shown in Fig. 8, the blower device 40' may also be provided on the upper front part of the case body 2'. This upper front blower device 40' may also be able to be installed on the case body later, similar to the lower front blower device 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Refrigerated showcase (freezer / refrigerated showcase) 2 Case body (main body case) 2A front opening 2a Lower front 4 Doors 20 Refrigerated Room 40 Blower 41 Duct 41A, 41B Gap 42 Cross flow fan (blower means) 43 Exterior materials 43c Air outlet 44d aperture 46 Cushioning material 421 Cover 422a Impeller 422b Drive Unit F Air Outlet S slit

Claims

1. A refrigerator / freezer showcase comprising a main body case having an opening on a front side, a door that can be opened and closed to cover the opening, and a blower that is provided below the opening of the main body case and blows air toward the front side of the door, The refrigerated / freezer showcase is characterized in that the air blowing means is a cross-flow fan that is long in the left-right direction.

2. a duct is provided on a lower front surface of the main body case to guide the air sent out from the cross flow fan toward the front surface of the door, 2. The refrigerated / freezer showcase according to claim 1, wherein the cross flow fan is detachably attached to the outside of the duct.

3. the duct includes a lower front surface of the main body case and an exterior member attached to a front side of the lower front surface at a distance therefrom, 3. The refrigerated / freezer showcase according to claim 2, wherein the exterior member covers a front surface of the cross flow fan.

4. 4. The refrigerated / freezer showcase according to claim 3, wherein the cross flow fan is attached to the rear side of the exterior member with a gap therebetween.

5. 5. The refrigerated / freezer showcase according to claim 4, further comprising a buffer member disposed in a gap between the cross-flow fan and the exterior member.

6. 6. The refrigerated / freezer showcase according to claim 5, wherein the gap is closed by the buffer member.

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