Reheater

Abstract

To prevent the occurrence of a fault due to water dropping from an evaporator within the storage of a reheater.SOLUTION: A reheater 10 comprises: a storage 20 for storing tableware that contains a cooked cooking object; a refrigeration unit 30 for circulating a coolant medium in an evaporator 34 provided in the storage 20 to cool the interior of the storage 20; a heater 27 for heating the interior of the storage 20; and a fan 26 for convecting air inside the storage 20. Thus the reheater is capable of executing a reheating program in which the refrigeration unit 30 and the fan 26 are made to operate in order to convect cooled air inside the storage 20 to cool the cooking object and then the heater 27 and the fan 26 are made to operate in order to convect heated air inside the storage 20 to reheat the cooking object which is cooled. In the storage 20, a drain tank 40 for storing water dropping from the evaporator 34 is provided below the evaporator 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reheater that stores cooked food in a storage compartment and reheats the food within the storage compartment. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention for a food refrigerating / heating cabinet that stores dishes containing cooked food and heats the food in the dishes to a temperature suitable for eating. This food refrigerating / heating cabinet includes a storage cabinet capable of storing cooked food, a cooling means for cooling the interior of the storage cabinet, a heater for heating the interior of the storage cabinet, and a fan for circulating air within the storage cabinet. This food refrigerating / heating cabinet is controlled to perform a cooling operation in which the cooling means cools the interior of the storage cabinet, and a reheating operation in which the heater reheats the interior of the storage cabinet after the cooling operation, so that the food in the storage cabinet is cooled by the cooling means when the refrigerating operation is performed, and heated by the heater when the reheating operation is performed after the refrigerating operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-176270 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the food refrigeration heating cabinet (reheater) of Patent Document 1, frost forms on the cooler (evaporator) that constitutes the cooling means when refrigeration operation is performed, and the frost on the cooler melts when a reheating operation is performed after refrigeration operation, potentially leaving water at the bottom of the storage cabinet (container). If melted frost water remains at the bottom of the storage cabinet, not only does it make the cabinet unhygienic, but the melted water may evaporate to form unintended steam when humidifying the cabinet during reheating operation, potentially resulting in excessive humidification of the food being reheated. The present invention aims to prevent problems caused by water dripping from the evaporator inside the storage cabinet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a reheater that includes a storage cabinet for storing cooked food, a refrigeration device that cools the inside of the storage cabinet by circulating a refrigerant through an evaporator arranged in the storage cabinet, a heater that heats the inside of the storage cabinet, and a fan that circulates air within the storage cabinet, and that can execute a reheating program that operates the refrigeration device and fan to circulate the cooled air within the storage cabinet to cool the cooked food, and then operates the heater and fan to circulate the heated air within the storage cabinet to reheat the cooled cooked food, and that is characterized in that a drainage tank is provided below the evaporator within the storage cabinet to collect water that falls from the evaporator.

[0006] In the reheater configured as described above, a drainage tank is provided below the evaporator inside the storage cabinet to collect water that falls from the evaporator, so that the water that falls from the evaporator is collected in the drainage tank, preventing the inside of the storage cabinet from becoming dirty with water that falls from the evaporator.

[0007] In the reheater configured as described above, the drainage tank is preferably provided with a lid that can be opened and closed to cover the opening on the top surface. Even when the heater and fan are operated to circulate heated air inside the storage compartment, the lid prevents the water stored in the drainage tank from turning into steam and being released into the storage compartment, thereby preventing unintended steam from being generated inside the storage compartment.

[0008] In the reheater configured as described above, the drainage tank is preferably made of a resin material with low thermal conductivity. When heated air is circulated in the storage compartment by operating the heater and fan, the heat of the circulating heated air is less likely to be transferred to the water in the drainage tank, making it less likely that unintended steam will be generated in the storage compartment.

[0009] The reheater configured as described above comprises an opening for carrying food into and out of the storage compartment, and a door that can be opened and closed to cover the opening. The storage compartment comprises a temperature adjustment compartment in which an evaporator, a heater, and a fan are disposed, and a storage compartment in which the food can be stored. The temperature adjustment compartment and the storage compartment are separated by a partition plate to allow ventilation. A drainage tank is disposed below the evaporator in the temperature adjustment compartment, and the partition plate preferably has a first passage opening that allows the drainage tank to pass between the temperature adjustment compartment and the storage compartment. The drainage tank can be passed from the storage compartment in which the food is stored through the first passage opening into the temperature adjustment compartment and from the temperature adjustment compartment through the first passage opening into the storage compartment, making maintenance, including disposal of water stored in the drainage tank, easy.

[0010] In the reheater configured as described above, the storage cabinet has a temperature-controlled chamber located on one side in the left-right direction, and a storage chamber located on the other side in the left-right direction from the temperature-controlled chamber, support rails for supporting trays on which dishes containing cooked food are placed are provided in multiple stages on both the left and right sides of the storage chamber, and the drainage tank has a handle used for taking it in and out between the temperature-controlled chamber and the storage chamber, and it is preferable that the handle protrudes toward the center of the storage chamber beyond the support rail on the temperature-controlled chamber side. Because the handle of the drainage tank protrudes toward the center of the storage chamber beyond the support rail on the temperature-controlled chamber side, the handle of the drainage tank can be easily noticed when the door is opened, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank will be forgotten.

[0011] In the reheater configured as described above, the drainage tank is provided with a handle used for taking it in and out between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber, an evaporation container is provided in the temperature adjustment chamber that generates steam from stored water when heated air is circulated by operating the heater and fan, the partition plate is formed with a second passage opening that allows the evaporation container to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber, and the evaporation container is provided with a handle used for taking it in and out from the temperature adjustment chamber to the storage chamber, and it is preferable that the handle of the drainage tank protrudes further toward the center of the storage chamber than the handle of the evaporation container. When the handle of the drainage tank protrudes further toward the center of the storage chamber than the handle of the evaporation container, the handle of the drainage tank can be easily noticed when opening the door to supply water to the evaporation container, making it less likely to forget to drain the water in the drainage tank.

[0012] In the reheater configured as described above, an evaporation container is provided in the temperature adjustment chamber that generates steam from stored water when heated air is circulated by operating the heater and fan, and the partition plate is formed with a second passage opening that allows the evaporation container to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber, and it is preferable that the drainage tank be connected to the evaporation container by a connecting member. When the drainage tank is connected to the evaporation container by the connecting member, when the door is opened and the evaporation container is removed from the second passage opening to supply water, the drainage tank can be pulled out together with the evaporation container into the storage chamber by the connecting member, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank will be forgotten.

[0013] In a reheater configured as described above, an evaporation container is provided within the temperature adjustment chamber that generates steam from stored water when heated air is circulated by operating the heater and fan, the partition plate is formed with a second passage opening that allows the evaporation container to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber, and the drainage tank is preferably provided with a stopper that extends to the second passage opening and prevents the evaporation container from passing through the second passage opening. When the drainage tank is provided with a stopper that extends to the second passage opening and prevents the evaporation container from passing through the second passage opening, when the door is opened to fill the evaporation container with water, the evaporation container cannot be pulled out from the second passage opening into the storage chamber unless the drainage tank is pulled out from the first passage opening into the storage chamber, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank will be forgotten to be discarded.

[0014] In the reheater configured as described above, it is preferable to control the device so that information prompting the user to discard the water in the drain tank is output to a predetermined output device before or after the execution of the reheating program. In this way, the user is prompted to discard the water accumulated in the drain tank before or after the execution of the reheating program, making it less likely that the user will forget to discard the water in the drain tank. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the reheater of the present invention. [Figure 2]2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction at the center of the front-rear direction of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line B-B. [Figure 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 with the partition plate removed. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tank body with the lid lifted up. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container body with the lid lifted up. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device. [Figure 12] 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a modified example in which the handle portion of the drainage tank protrudes further toward the center of the storage chamber than the handle portion of the evaporation container. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a perspective view of a modified example in which a drainage tank is connected to an evaporation container by a connecting member, with the door open and the partition plate removed. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a perspective view of a modified example in which a stopper for restricting movement of an evaporation container is provided in a drainage tank, with the door open and the partition plate removed. FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] An embodiment of the reheater of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The reheater 10 of the present invention is called a reheat warmer, and stores dishes containing cooked food (a dish) in a storage compartment 20, enabling the food in the dishes to be heated (warmed) to a temperature suitable for eating. The dishes stored in the storage compartment 20 of the reheater 10 are covered with lids to prevent the food from drying out. The lids used for covering the dishes are shallow cylindrical lids with a closed top and an open bottom, or hemispherical (dome-shaped) lids with an open bottom, so that they can be easily removed with one hand.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the reheater 10 has a machine chamber 12 on the left side of the housing 11, and a storage compartment 20 for storing tableware containing cooked food in the area excluding the machine chamber 12 on the left side. As shown in Figure 3, an opening 20a is formed in the front of the storage compartment 20 for carrying in and out trays of tableware, and a door 13 for opening and closing the opening 20a is supported on the right side of the front of the storage compartment 20 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a gasket 14 is provided on the peripheral edge of the rear surface (back surface) of the door 13, and the gasket 14 abuts against the peripheral edge of the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 when the door 13 is closed. The opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 is airtightly sealed and blocked by the gasket 14 when the door 13 is closed.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a partition plate 21 is provided on the left side of the storage cabinet 20, and within the storage cabinet 20, the left side of the partition plate 21 is a temperature-controlled chamber 22 for controlling the temperature, and the right side of the partition plate 21 is a storage chamber 23 for storing tableware. An opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 is formed in the portion where the storage chamber 23 for storing tableware is located. As shown in FIG. 4, an air vent 21a is formed in the partition plate 21, and air within the storage chamber 23 flows into the temperature-controlled chamber 22 through the air vent 21a. As shown in FIG. 3, duct partition plates 24 are provided on the rear and right sides of the storage chamber 23, and duct spaces 25 are formed on the rear and right sides of the storage chamber 23 for sending out air (hot air or cold air) whose temperature has been controlled in the temperature-controlled chamber 22 from the rear and right sides of the storage chamber 23. An air outlet 24 a is formed in the duct partition plate 24 , and the hot air generated in the temperature control chamber 22 passes through the duct space 25 and is blown out from the air outlet 24 a to the rear and right side of the storage chamber 23 .

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, support rails 15 for supporting trays (not shown) carrying tableware are provided in multiple stages on both the left and right sides of storage chamber 23. Support rails 15 are capable of supporting the left and right side edges of the underside of a flat tray, and extend forward and backward with a width sufficient to support the left and right side edges of the underside of the tray. The left support rail 15 is attached to partition plate 21, and the right support rail 15 is attached to duct partition plate 24.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a fan 26, a heater 27, and an evaporator 34 of a refrigeration unit 30 are disposed in the temperature-controlled room 22 of the storage cabinet 20, and temperature-controlled hot or cold air is generated in the temperature-controlled room 22 by operating the fan 26 and the heater 27 or the fan 26 and the refrigeration unit 30. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, a fan 26 is disposed on the left wall (one side wall) of the temperature-controlled room 22 to circulate and circulate air within the storage cabinet 20, and the fan 26 is disposed so that the extension direction of its rotation axis is in the left-right direction (horizontal). A centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan is used as the fan 26, and air within the storage chamber 23 is drawn into the temperature-controlled room 22 through the vent 21a by operation of the fan 26 and then blown outward in the centrifugal direction within the temperature-controlled room 22 (the blowing direction of the fan 26 is indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in Figure 5).

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, a heater 27 that heats the air inside the storage cabinet 20 is provided outside the fan 26 on the left side wall (one side wall) of the storage cabinet 20 in the temperature-controlled chamber 22. The heater 27 is disposed inside the temperature-controlled chamber 22 of the storage cabinet 20, and the heater 27 controls the temperature inside the temperature-controlled chamber 22 to increase. The heater 27 is formed in a spiral shape on the outside of the fan 26, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 26 is blown onto the heater 27, where it is heated and becomes hot air. The heater 27 has a substantially rectangular shape and is wound spirally twice, and the extension direction of the winding axis of the spirally wound heater 27 is disposed coaxially with the rotation axis of the fan 26. In addition, a temperature sensor 28 is provided on the left side wall of the storage cabinet 20, and the temperature sensor 28 detects the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20.

[0022] When the fan 26 is operated with the heater 27 energized, the air blown by the fan 26 is blown outward in the centrifugal direction within the temperature-controlled chamber 22 and heated by the heater 27 to become warm air (the direction of the air blown by the fan 26 is shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in Figure 5). The generated warm air passes through the duct space 25 and is sent out from the air outlet 24a to the storage chamber 23, and the air within the storage chamber 23 is returned to the temperature-controlled chamber 22 through the air vent 21a. In this way, the air within the temperature-controlled chamber 22 is heated by the heater 27 and sent into the storage chamber 23, and the air within the storage chamber 23 is returned again to the temperature-controlled chamber 22, and the air within the storage cabinet 20 circulates as warm air while being heated by the heater 27.

[0023] 2, 3, and 6, an evaporator 34 of a refrigeration unit 30 is disposed in the temperature control room 22, and the evaporator 34 is disposed on the left side of the partition plate 21 (opposite the storage room 23). The refrigeration unit 30 uses a well-known refrigerant circuit, and is equipped with a compressor 31 that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser 32 that cools the compressed refrigerant gas, a capillary tube 33 that expands the liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator 34 that vaporizes the expanded liquefied refrigerant to cool the inside of the storage room 20. The evaporator 34 is disposed on the left side of the partition plate 21 of the temperature control room 22, and other parts are disposed in the machine room 12.

[0024] When the refrigeration device 30 and the fan 26 are operated, the air in the storage room 23 passes around the evaporator 34 and is cooled as it flows into the temperature-controlled room 22 through the vent 21a, and the air cooled by the evaporator 34 in the temperature-controlled room 22 is turned into cool air by the fan 26 and sent out again to the storage room 23. In this way, the air in the temperature-controlled room 22 is cooled by the evaporator 34 of the refrigeration device 30 and sent out into the storage room 23, and the air in the storage room 23 is returned again to the temperature-controlled room 22, and the air in the storage room 20 is cooled by the evaporator 34 of the refrigeration device 30 and turns into cool air that circulates and convects.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 , a drainage tank 40 is provided below the evaporator 34 at the bottom of the temperature-controlled room 22 of the storage facility 20 to store water that has fallen from the evaporator 34. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the drainage tank 40 includes a shallow rectangular parallelepiped tank body 41 having an opening 41a at the top, a lid 42 that covers the opening 41a of the tank body 41, and a handle 43 provided on the tank body 41. The tank body 41 stores the water that has fallen from the evaporator 34 and is molded from a resin material with low thermal conductivity to prevent steam from being generated from the stored water. A lid 42 is detachably attached to the opening 41a on the top surface of the tank body 41, and prevents steam from being generated from the water in the tank body 41. Like the tank body 41, the lid 42 is molded from a resin material with low thermal conductivity to prevent steam from being generated from the water in the tank body 41. An inlet 42a is formed in the front of the lid 42, and water dropping from the evaporator 34 flows into the tank body 41 through this inlet 42a. A handle 43 is provided on the right side surface of the tank body 41, and the handle 43 extends to the right and is used to hold the drainage tank 40 when moving it between the temperature control chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23 at the bottom of the storage cabinet 20.

[0026] A gutter member 44 is provided above the drainage tank 40 and below the evaporator 34, and the gutter member 44 catches water that drops from the evaporator 34. The gutter member 44 is inclined so that the front side is lower, and water caught by the gutter member 44 flows to the lower front side. A drain pipe 45 is provided in front of the gutter member 44, and the lower end of the drain pipe 45 is located above the inlet 42a at the front of the lid 42. As shown in FIG. 4, a first passage opening 21b made up of a notch is formed in the lower center of the partition plate 21 in the front-to-rear direction, and this first passage opening 21b allows the drainage tank 40 to pass between the temperature control chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23. When the drainage tank 40 is placed into the storage chamber 23 of the storage cabinet 20 through the opening 20a for carrying in and out dishes, and the drainage tank 40 is moved from the bottom part of the storage chamber 23 at the center in the front-to-back direction through the first passage opening 21b to the bottom part of the temperature adjustment chamber 22 at the center in the front-to-back direction, the drainage tank 40 is installed at the installation position 22a below the evaporator 34. When the drainage tank 40 is installed at the installation position 22a, the inlet 42a of the lid 42 is positioned directly below the lower end opening of the drain pipe 45. When the drainage tank 40 is installed at the installation position 22a, the handle portion 43 protrudes into the storage chamber 23 from the first passage opening 21b.

[0027] A full water detection means for detecting whether the drainage tank 40 is full of water is provided at an installation position 22a on the bottom side of the center in the front-to-rear direction of the temperature adjustment compartment 22. As shown in Figures 2 to 4 and 6, in this embodiment, a weight sensor 29 is used as the full water detection means, and the weight sensor 29 detects the weight of the temperature adjustment compartment 22 at the installation position 22a to detect whether the drainage tank 40 is full of water.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, an evaporation container 50 that generates steam using heat from the heater 27 is provided at the bottom of the temperature-controlled chamber 22 of the storage cabinet 20. The evaporation container 50 humidifies the inside of the storage cabinet 20 by generating steam from water stored therein using heat from the heater 27. The evaporation container 50 is installed so that it can be removed to the destination of the warm air that is generated when air sent by the fan 26 is heated by the heater 27, and further, it is installed at an installation position 22b at the front bottom of the temperature-controlled chamber 22, so that it can be easily installed in the temperature-controlled chamber 22 from the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 through the storage chamber 23.

[0029] 9 and 10, the evaporative container 50 includes a shallow rectangular parallelepiped container body 51 having an opening 51a at the top, a lid 52 that covers the opening 51a of the container body 51 to allow steam to be released, a handle 53 provided on the container body 51, and legs 54 provided on the underside of the container body 51. The container body 51 stores water for generating steam, and an indicator 51b is provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body 51 to display the water level appropriate for humidifying the inside of the storage cabinet 20. The container body 51 is made by bending a metal sheet member such as stainless steel having high thermal conductivity so that heat from the hot air generated by the fan 26 and heater 27 can be efficiently transferred to the water stored inside.

[0030] A lid 52 is removably attached to the opening 51a of the container body 51. The lid 52 has a shallow rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open bottom and is fitted to the outside of the container body 51. Like the container body 51, the lid 52 is made by bending a metal sheet material such as stainless steel with high thermal conductivity to enable efficient transfer of heat from the hot air generated by the fan 26 and heater 27 to the water stored in the container body 51. By covering the upper side of the container body 51, the lid 52 prevents the hot air generated by the fan 26 and heater 27 from directly hitting the surface of the water in the container body 51. The lid 52 has a plurality (a large number) of discharge ports 52a formed by punching holes, and steam generated from the water in the container body 51 is discharged into the storage cabinet 20 from the plurality of discharge ports 52a.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3, a handle 53 is provided on the right side surface of the container body 51, and the handle 53 extends to the right and is used to grip when moving the evaporation container 50 between the temperature adjustment chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23 at the bottom of the storage cabinet 20. As shown in Fig. 4, a second passage opening 21c consisting of a notch is formed in the front lower part of the partition plate 21, and this second passage opening 21c allows the evaporation container 50 to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23. When the evaporation container 50 is placed into the storage chamber 23 of the storage cabinet 20 through the opening 20a for carrying in and out dishes, and then moved from the front of the storage chamber 23 through the second passage opening 21c to the installation position 22b at the front bottom of the temperature adjustment chamber 22, the evaporation container 50 is placed at the destination of the hot air generated when the air blown by the fan 26 is heated by the heater 27. When the evaporation container 50 is installed at the installation position 22b, the handle portion 53 protrudes into the storage chamber 23 through the second passage opening 21c.

[0032] 11, the reheater 10 is equipped with a control device 60, which is connected to the fan 26, heater 27, temperature sensor 28, weight sensor 29, refrigeration device 30, and an operation panel 61 provided on the front of the housing 11. The control device 60 has a microcomputer (not shown), which has a CPU, RAM, ROM, and a timer (all not shown), which are connected via a bus. The control device 60 has a reheating program stored in the ROM that refrigerates the cooked food stored in the storage cabinet 20 and then heats it to a temperature suitable for eating, so that the cooked food can be served warm at the time of serving the meal after cooking.

[0033] The reheating program controls the following: cooling the inside of storage cabinet 20 to refrigerate cooked foods after cooking (cooling process); heating the inside of storage cabinet 20 to warm the refrigerated cooked foods by the time the meal is served (reheating process); and keeping the cooked foods warm at a temperature suitable for eating after cooking (heating process). In this embodiment, the cooling process controls the operation of freezer 30 so that the inside of storage cabinet 20 reaches a refrigeration setting temperature (e.g., 5°C) suitable for refrigerating cooked foods; the reheating process controls the supply of electricity to heater 27 so that the inside of storage cabinet 20 reaches a reheating setting temperature (e.g., 110°C) suitable for warming cooked foods to the center; and the keeping-warm process controls the supply of electricity to heater 27 so that the inside of storage cabinet 20 reaches a keeping-warm setting temperature (e.g., 80°C) suitable for eating cooked foods after cooking. This reheating program is set, for example, to execute a refrigeration process from the evening of the day before the meal, and to terminate the cooling process and execute a reheating process at a predetermined time, for example, one hour before mealtime the following morning when the meal is served, and to execute a keep-warm process after the reheating process. Note that the reheating program in this embodiment executes the cooling process, reheating process, and keep-warm process in that order, but it may also be controlled so that the keep-warm process is not executed.

[0034] In this reheater 10, to prevent food placed in dishes in the storage compartment 20 from drying out when the reheating process of the reheating program is executed, an evaporative container 50 filled with water is placed at installation position 22b in the storage compartment 20. When placing the evaporative container 50 filled with water at installation position 22b in the storage compartment 20, the evaporative container 50 is pulled out toward the storage compartment 23 through the second passage opening 21c of the partition plate 21, the lid 52 is removed, and water is poured into the container body 51. The lid 52 is placed over the container body 51 filled with water, and the evaporative container 50 is passed from the storage compartment 23 through the second passage opening 21c and placed at installation position 22b for the evaporative container 50 at the front bottom of the temperature adjustment compartment 22. Thereafter, a tray containing food placed in dishes is carried into the storage compartment 23 of the storage compartment 20 through the opening 20a, the door 13 is closed, and the operation panel 61 is operated to execute the reheating program described above.

[0035] When the cooling process of the reheating program is executed, the operation of the freezer 30 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 28 with the fan 26 in operation so that the refrigeration temperature is reached. When the cooling process of the reheating program is executed, the air in the temperature-controlled compartment 22 is blown outward in a centrifugal direction by the fan 26, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction passes through the duct space 25 and is sent to the storage compartment 23 of the storage cabinet 20, and the air in the storage compartment 23 passes through the vent 21a and is returned to the temperature-controlled compartment 22. The air in the storage compartment 23 is cooled by the evaporator 34 when returning to the temperature-controlled compartment 22, and the air cooled by the evaporator 34 in the temperature-controlled compartment 22 is turned into cold air by the fan 26 and sent back into the storage compartment 23. The inside of the storage compartment 20 is cooled to the refrigeration temperature by circulating and convecting the cold air, and cooked food placed in dishes in the storage compartment 23 is cooled by the circulating and convecting cold air.

[0036] When the reheating process is performed after the cooling process, the power supply to heater 27 is controlled to reach the reheating set temperature based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 28 while fan 26 is in operation, and hot air heated by heater 27 circulates and convects within storage compartment 20. Air within temperature adjustment compartment 22 is blown outward in the centrifugal direction by fan 26, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction is heated by heater 27 to become hot air. The hot air generated within temperature adjustment compartment 22 by fan 26 and heater 27 is blown through duct space 25 to storage compartment 23 of storage compartment 20, and the air within storage compartment 23 is returned to temperature adjustment compartment 22 through vent 21a. The inside of storage compartment 20 is heated to reach the reheating set temperature by the circulating and convection of hot air, and food placed in dishes within storage compartment 23 is warmed by the circulating and convection of hot air.

[0037] Furthermore, within the temperature controlled chamber 22, the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 26 is heated by the heater 27 to become hot air, and the hot air blown outward in the centrifugal direction is blown onto the evaporative container 50 installed at the installation position 22b to heat the water in the evaporative container 50. Steam generated from the water in the evaporative container 50 is released from the outlet 52a into the temperature controlled chamber 22 within the storage chamber 20, and the hot air circulating and convecting within the storage chamber 20 contains the steam released from the evaporative container 50 and circulates and convects between the temperature controlled chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23. By executing the reheating process of the reheating program, the temperature within the storage chamber 20 is heated so that the food in the dish will reach the reheating set temperature, and the humidity within the storage chamber 20 is increased to a level appropriate for eating, preventing the food in the dish from drying out or becoming too moist.

[0038] When the keep-warm process is performed after the reheating process, the power supply to heater 27 is controlled to reach the keep-warm set temperature based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 28, with fan 26 in operation, and warm air heated by heater 27 circulates and circulates within storage cabinet 20. The temperature within storage cabinet 20 remains higher than the keep-warm set temperature for a certain period of time after the reheating process, and heater 27 is not powered until the temperature detected by temperature sensor 28 drops below the keep-warm set temperature. Food placed in dishes within storage cabinet 20 is maintained at a temperature suitable for eating by the warm air circulated by fan 26, and the dishes containing the food placed in storage cabinet 20 are maintained at a temperature that is not too hot to touch by the warm air circulated by fan 26.

[0039] When the cooling process of the reheating program is performed, water contained in the air condenses around the evaporator 34, freezes, and forms frost around the evaporator 34. When the reheating process is performed after the cooling process, the frost around the evaporator 34 melts and turns into water, which falls. The water that falls is received by the gutter member 44, passes through the drain pipe 45, and is stored in the drainage tank 40. Because the opening 41a on the top surface of the tank body 41 of the drainage tank 40 is closed by the lid 42, the water in the drainage tank 40 is not released as steam into the storage cabinet 20 even when hot air is circulated during the reheating process. In addition, after the reheating process or the warming process of the reheating program is performed, the display unit of the operation panel 61 is controlled to output information prompting the user to discard the water in the drainage tank 40. This prompts the user to discard the water that accumulates in the drainage tank 40 after the reheating process or the warming process of the reheating program is performed, making it less likely that the user will forget to discard the water in the drainage tank 40. Note that before the reheating program is executed, i.e., before the cooling process of the reheating program is executed, control may be exercised to output information to the display unit of the operation panel 61 that prompts the user to discard the water in the drainage tank 40. In this case, the user is prompted to discard the water in the drainage tank 40 when water is supplied to the evaporation container 50, making it less likely that the user will forget to discard the water in the drainage tank 40. Note that, in this embodiment, control is exercised to output information to prompt the user to discard the water in the drainage tank 40 to the display unit of the operation panel 61, but this is not limited thereto, and the user may also be controlled to output information to prompt the user to discard the water in the drainage tank 40 by sound such as a buzzer or voice.

[0040] The reheater 10 configured as described above includes a storage compartment 20 for storing cooked food, a refrigeration device 30 for cooling the inside of the storage compartment 20 by circulating a refrigerant through an evaporator 34 disposed within the storage compartment 20, a heater 27 for heating the inside of the storage compartment 20, and a fan 26 for convection of air within the storage compartment 20. This reheater 10 is capable of executing a reheating program in which a cooling process operates the refrigeration device 30 and the fan 26 to cause cooled air to convect within the storage compartment 20 to refrigerate the food, and then a reheating process operates the heater 27 and the fan 26 to cause heated air to convect within the storage compartment 20 to reheat the refrigerated food.

[0041] Frost that freezes around the evaporator 34 when the cooling process is performed melts as water and falls when the reheating process is performed after the cooling process. Since the storage cabinet 20 is provided below the evaporator 34 with a drainage tank 40 that collects water that falls from the evaporator 34, the water that falls from the evaporator 34 is collected in the drainage tank 40, and the inside of the storage cabinet 20 can be prevented from being contaminated by the water that falls from the evaporator 34. Furthermore, the drainage tank 40 is provided with a lid 42 that can be opened and closed to cover the opening 41a on the top surface of the tank body 41. Therefore, even if heated air is circulated inside the storage cabinet 20 by operating the heater 27 and the fan 26 during the reheating process, the water collected in the drainage tank 40 is prevented from turning into steam by the lid 42 and being released into the storage cabinet 20, and unintended steam can be prevented from being generated inside the storage cabinet 20. Furthermore, since the drainage tank 40 is made of a resin material with low thermal conductivity, when the heater 27 and the fan 26 are operated to circulate heated air inside the storage facility 20, the heat of the heated and circulating air is less likely to be transferred to the water inside the drainage tank 40, making it less likely that unintended steam will be generated inside the storage facility 20.

[0042] This reheater 10 is provided with an opening 20a for carrying in and out tableware containing food to be cooked into a storage compartment 20, and a door 13 that can be opened and closed to cover the opening 20a, and the storage compartment 20 is provided with a temperature adjustment compartment 22 in which an evaporator 34, a heater 27, and a fan 26 are disposed, and a storage compartment 23 for storing food to be cooked. The inside of the storage compartment 20 is partitioned by a partition plate 21 into the temperature adjustment compartment 22 and the storage compartment 23 to allow ventilation, and a drainage tank 40 is arranged below the evaporator 34 within the temperature adjustment compartment 22. In addition, the partition plate 21 is formed with a first passage 21b that allows the drainage tank 40 to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23. Therefore, the drainage tank 40 can be passed from the storage chamber 23, which stores the food to be cooked, into the temperature adjustment chamber 22 through the first passage 21b, and can also be passed from the temperature adjustment chamber 22 into the storage chamber 23 through the first passage 21b, making it easy to perform maintenance, including disposing of the water stored in the drainage tank 40.

[0043] In this reheater 10, the temperature adjustment compartment 22 is located on the left side (one side in the left-right direction) of the storage cabinet 20, and the storage compartment 23 is located to the right of the temperature adjustment compartment 22 (the other side in the left-right direction). Support rails 15 for supporting trays on which dishes containing food to be cooked are provided in multiple stages, one above the other, on both the left and right sides of the storage compartment 23. The drainage tank 40 has a handle 43 used for taking it in and out between the temperature adjustment compartment 22 and the storage compartment 23, and the handle 43 protrudes toward the center of the storage compartment 23 beyond the support rail 15 on the temperature adjustment compartment 22 side within the storage compartment 23. When the door 13 is opened, for example, to take in or out a tray containing dishes containing food to be cooked, the handle 43 of the drainage tank 40 can be easily noticed, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank 40 will be forgotten to be discarded.

[0044] In this reheater 10, an evaporation container 50 is provided within the temperature adjustment chamber 22, which generates steam from stored water when heated air is convected by operating the heater 27 and fan 26. A second passage opening 21c is formed in the partition plate 21 to allow the evaporation container 50 to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23, and the evaporation container 50 is provided with a handle 53 used to move the evaporation container 50 in and out between the temperature adjustment chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23. The handle 43 of the drainage tank 40 protrudes toward the center of the storage chamber 23 from the first passage opening 21b of the partition plate 21, the handle 53 of the evaporation container 50 protrudes toward the center of the storage chamber 23 from the second passage opening 20c formed in the partition plate 21, and the handle 43 of the drainage tank 40 protrudes toward the center of the storage chamber 23, just like the handle 53 of the evaporation container 50. When the door 13 is opened to supply water into the evaporative container 50, the handle portion 43 of the drainage tank 40 can be easily noticed, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank 40 will be forgotten to be discarded. Furthermore, in the modified example shown in Fig. 12, the handle portion 43 of the drainage tank 40 protrudes further toward the center of the storage chamber 23 than the handle portion 53 of the evaporative container 50. In this way, when the door 13 is opened to supply water into the evaporative container 50, the handle portion 43 of the drainage tank 40 can be easily noticed, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank 40 will be forgotten to be discarded.

[0045] 13, the drainage tank 40 is connected to the evaporation container 50 by a connecting member 46. When the drainage tank 40 is connected to the evaporation container 50 by the connecting member 46, when the door 13 is opened and the evaporation container 50 is removed from the second passage opening 21c to supply water, the drainage tank 40 can be pulled out together with the evaporation container 50 by the connecting member 46 into the storage chamber 23, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank 40 will be forgotten to be discarded.

[0046] 14, the drainage tank 40 is provided with a stopper 47 that extends to the second passage opening 21c and prevents the evaporation container 50 from passing through the second passage opening 21c. By providing the drainage tank 40 with the stopper 47 that extends to the second passage opening 21c and prevents the evaporation container 50 from passing through the second passage opening 21c, when opening the door 13 to fill the evaporation container 50 with water, the evaporation container 50 cannot be pulled out from the second passage opening 21c to the storage chamber 23 unless the drainage tank 40 is pulled out from the first passage opening 21b to the storage chamber 23, making it less likely that the water in the drainage tank 40 will be forgotten to be discarded.

[0047] In this reheater 10, information prompting the user to discard the water in the drain tank after the reheating program is executed is controlled to be output to the operation panel 61 as a predetermined output device. In this way, the user is prompted to discard the water accumulated in the drain tank 40 after the reheating program is executed, making it less likely that the user will forget to discard the water in the drain tank 40.

[0048] In this reheater 10, the partition plate 21 is provided on the left side of the storage cabinet 20, the temperature adjustment chamber 22 is arranged on the left side of the storage cabinet 20, and the storage chamber 23 is arranged to the right of the partition plate 21 of the storage cabinet 20, but this is not limited to this, and the partition plate 21 may be provided on the right side of the storage cabinet 20, the temperature adjustment chamber 22 is arranged on the right side of the storage cabinet 20, and the storage chamber 23 is arranged to the left of the partition plate 21 of the storage cabinet 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10...reheater, 13...door, 20...storage cabinet, 20a...opening, 21...partition plate, 21b...first passage port, 21c...second passage port, 22...temperature control chamber, 23...storage chamber, 26...fan, 27...heater, 40...drainage tank, 42...lid, 43...handle portion, 46...connecting member, 47...stopper.

Claims

1. a storage cabinet for storing cooked food; a refrigeration device that cools the inside of the storage compartment by circulating a refrigerant through an evaporator disposed in the storage compartment; a heater for heating the inside of the storage compartment; a fan for circulating air inside the storage compartment, A reheater capable of executing a reheating program that operates the refrigeration device and the fan to circulate cooled air in the storage compartment to cool the food to be cooked, and then operates the heater and the fan to circulate heated air in the storage compartment to reheat the cooled food to be cooked, A reheater characterized in that a drainage tank for collecting water that falls from the evaporator is provided below the evaporator in the storage compartment.

2. 2. The reheater of claim 1, The reheater is characterized in that the drainage tank is provided with a lid that can be freely opened and closed to cover the opening on the top surface.

3. The reheater according to claim 1 or 2, The reheater is characterized in that the drainage tank is made of a resin material having low thermal conductivity.

4. The reheater according to claim 1 or 2, An opening for carrying food into and out of the storage compartment; a door that can freely open and close the opening. The storage cabinet includes a temperature control chamber in which the evaporator, the heater, and the fan are disposed, and a storage chamber capable of storing food to be cooked, and the temperature control chamber and the storage chamber are separated by a partition plate to allow ventilation; A reheater characterized in that the drainage tank is placed below the evaporator within the temperature-controlled chamber, and a first passage opening is formed in the partition plate to allow the drainage tank to pass between the temperature-controlled chamber and the storage chamber.

5. 5. The reheater according to claim 4, The temperature control chamber is disposed on one side of the storage cabinet in the left-right direction, and the storage chamber is disposed on the other side of the temperature control chamber in the left-right direction, and support rails for supporting trays on which dishes containing cooked food are placed are provided in multiple stages up and down on both the left and right sides of the storage chamber, A reheater characterized in that the drainage tank is provided with a handle portion used to move the drainage tank in and out between the temperature-controlled chamber and the storage chamber, and the handle portion protrudes toward the center of the storage chamber beyond the support rail on the temperature-controlled chamber side.

6. 5. The reheater according to claim 4, The drainage tank has a handle portion used for taking it in and out between the temperature-controlled chamber and the storage chamber, an evaporation container is provided in the temperature-controlled chamber, which generates steam from stored water when heated air is circulated by operating the heater and the fan; a second passage opening is formed in the partition plate to allow the evaporation container to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber; The evaporation container is provided with a handle portion used for taking it in and out between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber, A reheater characterized in that a handle portion of the drainage tank projects further toward the center of the storage chamber than a handle portion of the evaporation container.

7. 5. The reheater according to claim 4, an evaporation container is provided in the temperature-controlled chamber, which generates steam from stored water when heated air is circulated by operating the heater and the fan; a second passage opening formed in the partition plate to allow the evaporation container to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber; A reheater characterized in that the drainage tank is connected to the evaporation container by a connecting member.

8. 5. The reheater according to claim 4, an evaporation container is provided in the temperature-controlled chamber, which generates steam from stored water when heated air is circulated by operating the heater and the fan; a second passage opening formed in the partition plate to allow the evaporation container to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber and the storage chamber; a stopper provided in the drain tank to extend to the second passage opening and to restrict the evaporation vessel from passing through the second passage opening;

9. 2. The reheater of claim 1, A reheater characterized in that it is controlled so as to output to a predetermined output device information prompting the user to discard the water in the drainage tank before or after execution of the reheating program.

Images