Reheater

Abstract

To prevent water that is condensed on or near a packing and accumulated on the bottom near an aperture of a storage from flowing out of the aperture.SOLUTION: A reheater 10 comprises: a storage 20 for storing a cooked cooking object; an aperture 20a from which the cooking object is carried in; a door 13 for blocking the aperture 20a to be openable / closable; a packing 14 provided between a peripheral edge part of the aperture 20a and the door 13; a heater 31 for heating the interior of the storage 20; a fan 30 for convecting air within the storage 20; and steam generation means 60 for generating steam to be supplied to the interior of the storage 20. The reheater 10 is capable of executing a reheating program in which the heater 31 and the fan 30 are made to operate so that hot wind including steam is made to circulate by convection, as a result of hot water circulating by convection in the storage 20 being made to contain the steam supplied by the steam generation means 60, in order to reheat the cooking object. A step 20b is provided on a bottom of the aperture 20a so as to make it higher than a bottom of the storage 20.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 storage cabinet interior, a heater for heating the storage cabinet interior, and a fan for circulating air within the storage cabinet. This food refrigerating / heating cabinet is controlled to perform a cooling operation to cool the storage cabinet interior and a reheating operation to reheat the storage cabinet interior after the cooling operation. During the cooling operation, air cooled by the cooling means within the storage cabinet is convected as cool air by the fan, and during the reheating operation, air heated by the heater within the storage cabinet is convected as warm air by the fan. This food refrigerating / heating cabinet also includes a steam generator for supplying steam into the storage cabinet. When controlled to supply steam into the storage cabinet during the reheating operation, air heated by the heater within the storage cabinet is convected as warm air containing steam supplied from the steam generator. [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, when control is performed to supply steam into the storage cabinet (container) during reheating operation, the air heated by the heater inside the storage cabinet convects as hot air containing steam supplied from the steam generator. When the hot air containing steam is convected inside the storage cabinet, moisture contained in the convecting hot air condenses on and around the gasket sealing the gap between the storage cabinet and the door, and the condensed water flows down near the opening of the storage cabinet and accumulates on the bottom near the opening. When the door of the storage cabinet is opened, the water that accumulates on the bottom near the opening of the storage cabinet may flow outward from the opening due to the convection of the hot air. The present invention aims to prevent water that condenses on and around the gasket and accumulates on the bottom near the opening of the storage cabinet from flowing outward from the opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a reheater that includes a storage cabinet that stores cooked food within a housing, an opening for transporting the food into and out of the storage cabinet, a door that can be opened and closed to cover the opening, a gasket that is provided between the periphery of the opening and the door, a heater that heats the inside of the storage cabinet, a fan that circulates air within the storage cabinet, and steam generating means that generates steam to be supplied into the storage cabinet, and that, by operating the heater and fan, causes the hot air circulating within the storage cabinet to contain steam supplied from the steam generating means, and that can execute a reheating program that reheats the food by circulating the hot air containing steam, and is characterized in that a step is provided at the bottom of the opening to make it higher than the bottom of the storage cabinet.

[0006] In a reheater configured as described above, when the reheating program is executed, hot air containing steam circulates inside the storage compartment, and the moisture contained in the hot air containing steam condenses on the packing between the storage compartment and the door, and the condensed water accumulates near the opening of the storage compartment. In this reheater, a step is provided at the bottom of the opening of the storage compartment to make it higher than the bottom of the storage compartment, so that when the door of the storage compartment is opened, the step prevents the water that accumulates at the bottom near the opening of the storage compartment from flowing outward.

[0007] In the reheater configured as described above, it is preferable that the step has an upper surface with an inclined surface that is lower toward the inside of the storage container. In this case, there is a risk that water condensed by the packing may remain on the upper surface of the step when it flows downward, but since the step has an upper surface with an inclined surface that is lower toward the inside of the storage container, the water that flows down on the upper surface of the step will flow toward the storage container due to the inclined surface, and will not flow out through the opening of the storage container.

[0008] In the reheater configured as described above, it is preferable to provide a guide member that guides the steam-laden hot air circulating inside the storage compartment toward the opening. The steam-laden hot air circulating inside the storage compartment is guided by the guide member toward the opening of the storage compartment, and water that accumulates on the bottom near the opening of the storage compartment is easily evaporated by the steam-laden hot air guided by the guide member, making it difficult for water to accumulate on the bottom near the opening of the storage compartment.

[0009] In the reheater configured as described above, it is preferable to provide a guard member at the bottom of the opening to prevent the hot air containing steam circulating inside the storage from hitting the bottom of the door. In this case, the guard member prevents the hot air containing steam circulating inside the storage from hitting the bottom of the door, thereby reducing the amount of water condensing near the bottom of the opening of the storage.

[0010] In the reheater configured as described above, it is preferable that the opening of the storage compartment be positioned close to one side of the housing, and that a drain pan be provided on the lower bottom surface of the side of the housing where the opening of the storage compartment is located to catch condensation water that flows down from the opening. In this way, the drain pan can catch water that flows down from the opening of the storage compartment along the side of the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [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] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the door seen from the rear with the door pack and gasket removed and moved rearward. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the opening of the storage cabinet with the door open. [Figure 6] 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line B-B. [Figure 7] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 from which a partition plate is removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing with the top panel removed, seen from the rear right. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction at the position where the insertion opening of the storage cabinet is formed. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing the left side, rear, and top panels of the housing removed, illustrating the silicone packing and bracket for closing the insertion opening of the storage compartment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a modified silicone packing and bracket from FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the insulation of the storage compartment with the left side, rear, and top panels of the housing removed. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container body with the lid lifted up. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device. [Figure 17] 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6, showing a guard member attached to the upper side of a step formed at the bottom of the opening of the storage. FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] 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 in a storage compartment 20, enabling the food in the dishes to be heated (warmed) to a temperature suitable for eating.

[0013] 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, the storage compartment 20 stores trays carrying tableware containing cooked food in multiple levels, and an opening 20a is formed in the front of the storage compartment 20 for carrying in and out the trays carrying the tableware. A thermal insulator is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the storage compartment 20 excluding the opening 20a, and the interior of the storage compartment 20 is insulated from the outside by the thermal insulator. An opening 11a is formed on the front surface of the housing 11 excluding the left side, and the storage compartment 20 is positioned close to the front of the housing 11 so that the opening 20a is aligned with the opening 11a of the housing 11.

[0014] A door 13 that opens and closes the opening 20a is supported rotatably about a vertical axis on the right side of the front of the storage cabinet 20, and the opening 20a on the front of the storage cabinet 20 is covered by the door 13 in an openable and closable manner. Similar to the storage cabinet 20, a heat insulating material is provided inside the door 13, and the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 is insulated from the outside by the heat insulating material of the door 13. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a packing 14 is provided on the peripheral edge of the rear surface (back surface) of the door 13, and the packing 14 abuts against the outer opening peripheral edge 11b of the opening 11a of the housing 11, which becomes the peripheral edge of the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 when the door 13 is closed. The opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 is airtightly sealed and blocked by the packing 14 when the door 13 is closed.

[0015] As shown in Figure 4, a door pack 13a is provided on the rear surface (backside) of the door 13 so as to cover the heat insulating material inside the packing 14, and a frame 13b is provided on the rear surface (backside) of the door 13 inside the packing 14 and in front of the door pack 13a to support the heat insulating material. Slits 13c are formed in the frame 13b, and the slits 13c make it difficult for heat inside the storage cabinet 20 to be transmitted to parts outside the packing 14 via the door pack 13a. Furthermore, the door 13 is made lighter in weight because the slits 13c are formed in the frame 13b.

[0016] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a step 20b is formed at the bottom of opening 20a of storage 20, making it higher than the bottom surface of storage 20. Step 20b has the function of preventing water that accumulates on the bottom surface of storage 20 from flowing out through opening 20a. Furthermore, a block body 20d is provided on the upper surface of step 20b, with an inclined surface 20c that is lower toward the inside of storage 20. In this embodiment, inclined surface 20c is inclined at an angle of 7°, but this is not limited thereto. If the inclined surface 20c is inclined at an angle of 5° to 15°, or more preferably 7° to 10°, water on the upper surface of step 20b can flow more easily into storage 20. In this embodiment, the inclined surface portion 20c is formed by the hypotenuse of a hollow block body having a right-angled triangular shape when cut along the front-to-rear direction, but this is not limited to this, and the upper surface of the step portion 20b may also be formed as an inclined surface portion that is lower toward the inside of the storage cabinet 20.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , a drain pan 15 is provided on the lower bottom surface of the housing 11 to collect water flowing down from the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20. The drain pan 15 is detachably supported by a bracket 16 provided on the lower bottom surface of the housing 11. The drain pan 15 has an elongated, approximately rectangular box shape with an open top, and is longer than the left-to-right length (width) of the opening 11a of the housing 11. The drain pan 15 is disposed on the lower bottom surface of the housing 11 so as to straddle the lower front end of the housing 11 from front to back, and can collect water flowing down from the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 along the lower opening periphery 11b of the opening 11a of the housing 11. A tongue 15a protruding diagonally upward and forward is formed on the upper front end of the drain pan 15. The tongue 15a is used to grip the drain pan 15 when attaching or detaching it from the underside of the housing 11.

[0018] 5 and 6, brackets 16 are provided at the front of the lower bottom surface of housing 11, outwardly positioned on both sides of opening 11a in the left-right direction, and support both left and right edge portions of the underside of drain pan 15. Each of left and right brackets 16 is made by bending a metal plate and includes a vertical portion 16a extending downward from the front of the lower bottom surface of housing 11, and support portions 16b extending from the lower end of vertical portion 16a toward the center of storage compartment 20 to support both left and right edge portions of the underside of drain pan 15. A guide portion 16c extending diagonally forward and upward is formed on the front edge of support portion 16b, and guide portion 16c has the function of guiding both left and right edge portions of the underside of drain pan 15 to support portion 16b.

[0019] 2, 3, and 6, a partition plate 21 is provided on the left side of storage cabinet 20, and inside storage cabinet 20, the left side of partition plate 21 is a temperature control chamber 22 for controlling the temperature, and the right side of partition plate 21 is a storage chamber 23 for storing tableware containing food to be cooked. Opening 20a of storage cabinet 20 is formed in the part where storage chamber 23 for storing tableware is located. As shown in FIG. 6, partition plate 21 is formed with ventilation hole 21a, and air inside storage chamber 23 flows into temperature control chamber 22 through ventilation hole 21a.

[0020] 3, duct partition plates 24 are provided at the rear and right side of the storage chamber 23, and duct spaces 25 are formed at the rear and right side of the storage chamber 23 for sending out air (hot air or cold air) whose temperature has been adjusted in the temperature adjustment chamber 22 from the rear and right side of the storage chamber 23. The duct space 25 includes a rear duct space 25a located at the rear side of the storage chamber 23 and a side duct space 25b located on the right side of the storage chamber 23. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, an air outlet 24a is formed in the duct partition plate 24, and a portion of the hot or cold air generated in the temperature-controlled room 22 passes through the rear duct space 25a and is sent out from the air outlet 24a to the rear of the storage room 23, and the remaining portion of the hot or cold air generated in the temperature-controlled room 22 passes from the rear duct space 25a through the side duct space 25b and is sent out from the air outlet 24a to the right side of the storage room 23 (the flow of the hot or cold air is shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 3).

[0021] 3, a guide member 26 is provided in side duct space 25b to guide the hot or cold air toward opening 20a of storage room 23. Guide member 26 is a plate member that is inclined so that the front side is closer to the center of storage 20 than the rear side, and divides side duct space 25b so that the front side is narrower than the rear side. The hot or cold air passing through side duct space 25b is sent out by guide member 26 from air outlet 24a toward opening 20a (the flow of the hot or cold air is indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 3).

[0022] 2, 3, 5, and 6, support rails 17 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 17 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 17 is attached to partition plate 21, and the right support rail 17 is attached to duct partition plate 24.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a fan 30, a heater 31, and an evaporator 44 of a refrigeration unit 40 are disposed in the temperature-controlled compartment 22 of the storage cabinet 20, and temperature-controlled hot or cold air is generated in the temperature-controlled compartment 22 by operating the fan 30 and heater 31 or the fan 30 and refrigeration unit 40. As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 7, a fan 30 is disposed on the left wall (one side wall) of the temperature-controlled compartment 22 to circulate and circulate air within the storage cabinet 20, and the fan 30 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 30, and air within the storage compartment 23 is drawn into the temperature-controlled compartment 22 through the vent 21a by operation of the fan 30 and then blown outward in the centrifugal direction within the temperature-controlled compartment 22 (the blowing direction by the fan 30 is indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in Figure 7).

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7, a heater 31 that heats the air inside the storage cabinet 20 is provided outside the fan 30 on the left side wall (one side wall) of the storage cabinet 20 in the temperature-controlled compartment 22. The heater 31 is disposed inside the temperature-controlled compartment 22 of the storage cabinet 20, and the heater 31 controls the temperature inside the temperature-controlled compartment 22 to increase. The heater 31 is formed in a spiral shape on the outside of the fan 30, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 30 is blown onto the heater 31, where it is heated and becomes warm air. The heater 31 has a substantially rectangular shape and is wound spirally twice, and the winding axis of the spirally wound heater 31 extends coaxially with the rotation axis of the fan 30. As shown in FIG. 7, a temperature sensor 32 is disposed on the left side wall of the storage cabinet 20, and the temperature sensor 32 detects the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20.

[0025] When the fan 30 is operated with the heater 31 energized, the air blown by the fan 30 is blown outward in the centrifugal direction within the temperature-controlled compartment 22 and heated by the heater 31 to become warm air (the direction of the air blown by the fan 30 is shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 7). The generated warm air passes through the duct space 25 and is sent out from the air outlet 24a to the storage compartment 23, and the air within the storage compartment 23 is returned to the temperature-controlled compartment 22 through the vent 21a. In this way, the air within the temperature-controlled compartment 22 is heated by the heater 31 and sent out into the storage compartment 23, and the air within the storage compartment 23 is returned again to the temperature-controlled compartment 22, and the air within the storage cabinet 20 becomes warm air while being heated by the heater 31 and circulates (the flow of the warm air is shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 3).

[0026] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 8, an evaporator 44 of a refrigeration unit 40 is disposed in the temperature control compartment 22, and the evaporator 44 is disposed on the left side of the partition plate 21 (opposite the storage compartment 23). As shown in Figure 3, the refrigeration unit 40 uses a well-known refrigeration circuit and includes a compressor 41 that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser 42 that cools the compressed refrigerant gas, a capillary tube 43 that expands the liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator 44 that vaporizes the expanded liquefied refrigerant to cool the inside of the storage compartment 20. In the refrigeration unit 40, the compressor 41, the condenser 42, the capillary tube 43, and the evaporator 44 are connected by refrigerant piping 45 to form a refrigeration circuit. In the refrigeration unit 40, the evaporator 44 is disposed on the left side of the partition plate 21 of the temperature control compartment 22, and the other components are disposed in the machine compartment 12.

[0027] When the refrigeration device 40 and the fan 30 are operated, the air in the storage room 23 passes around the evaporator 44 and is cooled as it flows into the temperature-controlled room 22 through the vent 21a, and the air cooled by the evaporator 44 in the temperature-controlled room 22 is turned into cool air by the fan 30 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 44 of the refrigeration device 40 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 44 of the refrigeration device 40 and turns into cool air that circulates and convects (the flow of cool air is indicated by the dashed arrows in Figure 3).

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, an insertion opening 20e is formed in the upper rear portion of the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the side facing the machine room 12, and a portion of the refrigerant piping 45 connecting the capillary tube 43 to the evaporator 44 and a portion connecting the evaporator 44 to the compressor 41 are inserted through the insertion opening 20e. The portion of the refrigerant piping 45 connecting the capillary tube 43 to the evaporator 44 and a portion connecting the evaporator 44 to the compressor 41 are located within the temperature control chamber 22 in the storage cabinet 20, and may be affected by the heat of the hot air generated by the heater 31 and the fan 30. As shown in FIG. 9, a guard plate 46 is provided in the upper rear portion of the temperature control chamber 22 to prevent the hot air generated by the heater 31 and the fan 30 from reaching the refrigerant piping 45. The guard plate 46 prevents the refrigerant piping 45 located within the temperature control chamber 22 from being affected by the heat of the hot air generated by the heater 31 and the fan 30. The guard plate 46 also functions as a holder for fixing the partition plate 21 to the left wall of the storage cabinet 20.

[0029] 10 and 11, a silicone packing 46 is provided in the machine room 12 to close the insertion opening 20e in the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side. The silicone packing 46 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block whose thickness is in the direction in which the refrigerant pipe 45 extends, and is provided in the center with a piping hole 46a having the same diameter as the refrigerant pipe 45, and a slit 46b extending outward from the piping hole 46a to allow the refrigerant pipe 45 to pass through the piping hole 46a. A bracket 47 is provided in the machine room 12 to fix the silicone packing 46 to the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side.

[0030] The silicone packing 46 is attached to the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 facing the machine chamber 12 so that both ends separated by the slit 46b are pressed toward each other by the bracket 47 and are also pressed against the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 facing the machine chamber 12 in the thickness direction. The silicone packing 46 is fixed to the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 facing the machine chamber 12 so that the entire silicone packing 46 is crushed by the bracket 47, which reduces the likelihood of gaps forming in the piping hole 46a and the slit 46b of the silicone packing 46. In this embodiment, a silicone sheet 48 is provided between the silicone packing 46 and the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 facing the machine chamber 12. This silicone sheet 48 further airtightly seals the insertion opening 20e through which the refrigerant piping 45 passes. As shown in FIG. 12 , the silicone packing 46 may be enlarged and the silicone packing 46 and the bracket 47 may be rotated 90°. By enlarging the silicone packing 46, the entire insertion opening 20e through which the refrigerant piping 45 passes can be reliably covered.

[0031] 10 and 13, a heat insulating material 28 that makes it difficult for heat inside the storage cabinet 20 to be transferred into the machine room 12 is provided on the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side, and the heat insulating material 28 includes a main heat insulating material 28a that covers the entire area of ​​the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side except for the periphery of the insertion opening 20e for the refrigerant pipe 45, and an auxiliary heat insulating material 28b that covers the periphery of the insertion opening 20e. As described above, the periphery of the insertion opening 20e on the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side is airtightly covered with the silicone packing 46 and the silicone sheet 48, and is insulated by the auxiliary heat insulating material 28b. A bracket 29 is provided on the upper side of the auxiliary insulation 28b of the main insulation 28a to press the auxiliary insulation 28b against the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side, and the auxiliary insulation 28b is pressed against the insertion opening 20e in the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side by the bracket 29, thereby improving the airtightness and insulation around the insertion opening 20e in the side wall of the storage cabinet 20 on the machine room 12 side.

[0032] As shown in Figures 6 and 8, a drainage tank 50 is provided below the evaporator 44 at the bottom of the temperature-controlled room 22 of the storage shed 20, for collecting water that drops from the evaporator 44. The drainage tank 50 includes a shallow rectangular parallelepiped tank body 51, a lid 52 that covers an opening on the top surface of the tank body 51, and a handle 53 provided on the tank body 51. A gutter member 54 is provided below the evaporator 44 on the upper side of the drainage tank 50, and the gutter member 54 catches the water that drops from the evaporator 44. The gutter member 54 is inclined so that the front side is lower, and the water caught by the gutter member 54 flows to the lower front side. A drainage pipe 55 is provided in front of the gutter member 54, and the lower end of the drainage pipe 55 is located above the inlet at the front of the lid 52. As shown in Figure 6, a first passage opening 21b consisting of a notch is formed in the lower part of the center side in the front-to-back direction of the partition plate 21, and this first passage opening 21b allows the drainage tank 50 to pass between the temperature control chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23.

[0033] 3 and 6, an evaporation container (steam generating means) 60 that generates steam using heat from the heater 31 is provided at the bottom of the temperature-controlled chamber 22 of the storage cabinet 20. The evaporation container 60 humidifies the inside of the storage cabinet 20 by generating steam from water stored therein using heat from the heater 31. The evaporation container 60 is installed so that it can be removed to the destination of the warm air generated when air blown by the fan 30 is heated by the heater 31, and furthermore, it is installed 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.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 , the evaporating container 60 includes a shallow rectangular parallelepiped container body 61 having an opening 61a on its top surface, a lid 62 that covers the opening 61a on the top surface of the container body 61 to allow steam to be released, and a handle 63 provided on the container body 61. The container body 61 stores water for generating steam and is made by bending a metal sheet material such as stainless steel with high thermal conductivity. A lid 62 is detachably attached to the opening 61a on the top surface of the container body 61, and the lid 62 has a shallow rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open bottom and is fitted to the outside of the container body 61. Like the container body 61, the lid 62 is also made by bending a metal sheet material such as stainless steel with high thermal conductivity. By covering the top side of the container body 61, the lid 62 prevents the hot air generated by the fan 30 and heater 31 from directly hitting the surface of the water in the container body 61. The lid 62 is formed with a plurality (a large number) of discharge ports 62a made up of punched holes, and steam generated from the water in the container body 61 is discharged into the storage 20 from the plurality of discharge ports 62a.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 3, a handle 63 is provided on the right side surface of the container body 61, and the handle 63 extends to the right and is used to grasp when moving the evaporation container 60 between the temperature adjustment chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23 at the bottom of the storage cabinet 20. As shown in Fig. 6, a second passage opening 21c consisting of a notch is formed in the lower front part of the partition plate 21, and this second passage opening 21c allows the evaporation container 60 to pass between the temperature adjustment chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23.

[0036] As shown in Figure 16, the reheater 10 is equipped with a control device 70, which is connected to the fan 30, heater 31, temperature sensor 32, refrigeration device 40, and an operation panel 71 provided on the front of the housing 11. The control device 70 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 70 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.

[0037] The reheating program controls the cooling of the storage cabinet 20 to refrigerate the cooked food after cooking (cooling process), the heating of the storage cabinet 20 to warm the refrigerated cooked food by the time the meal is served (reheating process), and the keeping of the cooked food at a temperature suitable for eating after cooking (heating process). In this embodiment, the cooling process controls the operation of the freezer 40 so that the inside of the storage cabinet 20 reaches a refrigeration setting temperature (e.g., 5°C) suitable for refrigerating the cooked food, the reheating process controls the energization of the heater 31 so that the inside of the storage cabinet 20 reaches a reheating setting temperature (e.g., 110°C) suitable for warming the cooked food to the center, and the keeping-warm process controls the energization of the heater 31 so that the inside of the storage cabinet 20 reaches a keeping-warm setting temperature (e.g., 80°C) suitable for eating the cooked food after cooking. This reheating program is set, for example, to execute a refrigeration process from the evening of the day before the meal, 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 at least one of the refrigeration process and the keep-warm process is not executed.

[0038] In this reheater 10, to prevent the 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 60 filled with water is placed in an installation position within the storage compartment 20. When placing the evaporative container 60 filled with water in an installation position within the storage compartment 20, the evaporative container 60 is pulled out toward the storage compartment 23 through the second passage opening 21c of the partition plate 21, the lid 62 is removed, and water is poured into the container body 61. The lid 62 is placed over the container body 61 filled with water, and the evaporative container 60 is passed from the storage compartment 23 through the second passage opening 21c and placed in the installation position for the evaporative container 60 at the front bottom of the temperature adjustment compartment 22. Thereafter, a tray containing the food 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 71 is operated to execute the reheating program described above.

[0039] When the cooling process of the reheating program is executed, the operation of the freezer 40 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32, with the fan 30 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 30, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction is sent through the duct space 25 to the storage compartment 23 of the storage cabinet 20, and the air in the storage compartment 23 is returned to the temperature-controlled compartment 22 through the vent 21a. The air in the storage compartment 23 is cooled by the evaporator 44 when returning to the temperature-controlled compartment 22, and the air cooled by the evaporator 44 in the temperature-controlled compartment 22 is turned into cold air by the fan 30 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.

[0040] When the reheating process is performed after the cooling process, the fan 30 is operated and the power supply to the heater 31 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 so that the reheating temperature is reached, and hot air heated by the heater 31 circulates and convects within the storage compartment 20. The air within the temperature adjustment compartment 22 is blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 30, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction is heated by the heater 31 and becomes hot air. The hot air generated within the temperature adjustment compartment 22 by the fan 30 and heater 31 is blown through the duct space 25 to the storage compartment 23 of the storage compartment 20, and the air within the storage compartment 23 is returned to the temperature adjustment compartment 22 through the air vent 21a. The storage compartment 20 is heated to the reheating temperature by the circulating and convection of the hot air, and food placed in dishes within the storage compartment 23 is warmed by the circulating and convection of the hot air.

[0041] Furthermore, within the temperature-controlled chamber 22, the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 30 is heated by the heater 31 to become hot air, and the hot air blown outward in the centrifugal direction is blown onto the evaporative container 60 to heat the water in the evaporative container 60. Steam generated from the water in the evaporative container 60 is released from the outlet 62a into the temperature-controlled chamber 22 within the storage chamber 20, and the hot air circulating and convecting within the storage chamber 20 picks up the steam released from the evaporative container 60 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.

[0042] When the keep-warm process is performed after the reheating process, the fan 30 is operated and the power supply to the heater 31 is controlled so that the temperature reaches the keep-warm set temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32, and hot air heated by the heater 31 circulates and circulates within the storage cabinet 20. The temperature within the storage cabinet 20 remains higher than the keep-warm set temperature for a certain period of time after the reheating process, and the heater 31 is not powered until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 drops below the keep-warm set temperature. Food placed in dishes in the storage cabinet 20 is maintained at a temperature suitable for eating by the hot air circulated by the fan 30, and the dishes containing the food placed in the storage cabinet 20 are maintained at a temperature that is not too hot to touch by the hot air circulated by the fan 30.

[0043] As described above, when the reheating process of the reheating program is executed, the hot air circulating and convectively flowing within the storage cabinet 20 contains steam released from the evaporation container 60 and circulates and convects between the temperature control chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23. While the storage cabinet 20 and the door 13 are insulated from the outside by insulating material, the packing 14 is not insulated from the outside, and moisture contained in the hot air is likely to condense on and around the packing 14, causing condensation. The water condensed and condensed on and around the packing 14 flows down to the bottom of the storage cabinet 20 near the opening 20a.

[0044] The reheater 10 configured as described above comprises a storage compartment 20 that stores cooked food in a housing 11, an opening 20a for carrying the food into and out of the storage compartment 20, a door 13 that can be opened and closed to freely close the opening 20a, a gasket 14 provided between the periphery of the opening 20a and the door 13, a heater 31 that heats the inside of the storage compartment 20, a fan 30 that circulates air within the storage compartment 20, and an evaporation container 60 as steam generating means that generates steam to be supplied into the storage compartment 20. In this reheater 10, by operating the heater 31 and the fan 30, steam released from the evaporation container 60 is contained in the hot air circulating within the storage compartment 20, and a reheating program can be executed that reheats the food by circulating the hot air containing the steam.

[0045] As described above, when the reheating program is executed in this reheater 10, hot air containing steam convects within the storage compartment. The moisture contained in the hot air containing steam condenses on and around the packing 14 between the storage compartment 20 and the door 13. The condensed water flows down and accumulates on the bottom near the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20. In this reheater 10, the bottom of the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 is provided with a step 20b that makes the bottom higher than the bottom of the storage compartment 20. When the door 13 of the storage compartment 20 is opened, the step 20b prevents water that accumulates on the bottom near the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 from flowing outward from the opening 20a. In this embodiment, the step 20b is formed integrally with the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20. However, a separate step made of a block may be provided on the bottom of the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20.

[0046] Furthermore, when water condensed on or near the packing 14 flows downward, it may remain on the upper surface of the step 20b, but since the step 20b has an upper surface with an inclined surface 20c that is lower toward the inside of the storage cabinet 20, the water that flows down on the upper surface of the step 20b flows toward the storage cabinet 20 due to the inclined surface 20c, and it is possible to prevent the water from flowing outward from the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20. In the reheater 10 of this embodiment, the inclined surface 20c is provided by providing a block body 20d above the step 20b, but the present invention is not limited to this and the inclined surface 20c may be formed integrally on the upper surface of the step 20b. Furthermore, by providing an inclined surface portion 20c on the upper side of the step portion 20b, water flowing down the upper surface of the step portion 20b is made to flow toward the storage cabinet 20 by the inclined surface portion 20c. However, even if the inclined surface portion 20c is not provided on the upper side of the step portion 20b, as described above, the effect of preventing water that accumulates at the bottom near the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 from flowing outward from the opening 20a can be obtained by the step portion 20b.

[0047] Furthermore, the reheater 10 is provided with a guide member 26 that guides the steam-laden hot air convection within the storage compartment 20 toward the opening 20a. In this embodiment, the side duct space 25b that constitutes the duct space 25 is provided with a guide member 26 that guides the steam-laden hot air toward the opening 20a of the storage chamber 23. Even if water accumulates at the bottom near the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20, the steam-laden hot air convection within the storage compartment 20 is easily evaporated by the steam-laden hot air guided toward the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 by the guide member 26, making it difficult for water to accumulate at the bottom near the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20. Note that, although the guide member 26 in this embodiment has a height from the top to the bottom of the side duct space 25b, this is not limited thereto. The guide member 26 may have a height only extending from the bottom of the side duct space 25b, and the steam-laden hot air may be guided toward the bottom (lower portion) of the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20.

[0048] Furthermore, the storage compartment 20 is disposed with its opening 20a close to the front surface (one side surface) of the housing 11, and a drain pan 15 is provided on the lower bottom surface of the front surface (one side surface) of the housing 11 where the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 is disposed to collect condensation water that flows down from the opening 20a. Even if water flows down from the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 along the front surface of the housing 11, the water that flows down from the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 along the front surface of the housing 11 can be collected by the drain pan 15, thereby preventing the installation location of the reheater 10 from being soiled by the water flowing down from the opening of the storage compartment 20. Furthermore, when the drain pan 15 is attached below the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 on the front surface of the housing 11, there is a risk that the water that flows down from the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 will flow down through the small gap between the front surface of the housing 11 and the drain pan 15. In contrast, the drain pan 15 is positioned so as to straddle the front of the housing 11 at the lower bottom surface on the front (one side) side of the housing 11, so that water flowing down along the front of the housing 11 from the opening 20a of the storage compartment 20 flows down from the lower end of the front of the housing 11 into the lower drain pan 15, thereby preventing the installation location of the reheater 10 from being soiled by water flowing down from the opening of the storage compartment 20.

[0049] 17, when a guard member 20f that prevents hot air containing steam from hitting the bottom of the door 13 is detachably provided at the bottom of the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20, the hot air containing steam can be prevented from hitting the bottom of the door 13, thereby reducing the amount of water that condenses near the bottom of the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20. In this case, too, it is preferable to form an inclined surface portion on the upper surface of the guard member 20f.

[0050] In the reheater 10 of this embodiment, an evaporation container 60 is used as the steam generating means, but this is not limited to this, and steam may also be supplied into the storage cabinet 20 using a steam generating device that generates steam within the machine room 12.

[0051] In the reheater 10 of this embodiment, the gasket 14 is provided on the peripheral portion of the rear surface (back side) of the door 13, but this is not limited to this, and the gasket 14 may also be provided on the opening peripheral portion 11b of the housing 11, which is the outer peripheral portion of the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10...reheater, 13...door, 14...gasket, 15...drain pan, 20...storage cabinet, 20a...opening, 20b...step portion, 20c...inclined surface portion, 20f...guard member, 26...guide member, 30...fan, 31...heater, 60...steam generating means (evaporation vessel).

Claims

1. a storage compartment for storing cooked food in a housing; An opening for carrying food into and out of the storage compartment; a door that can be freely opened and closed to close the opening; a packing provided between the peripheral edge of the opening and the door; a heater for heating the inside of the storage compartment; A fan for circulating air inside the storage compartment; steam generating means for generating steam to be supplied into the storage compartment; A reheater that can execute a reheating program in which the hot air circulating in the storage compartment contains steam supplied from the steam generating means by operating the heater and the fan, and the hot air containing steam is circulated to reheat the food to be cooked, A reheater characterized in that a step is provided at the bottom of the opening to make it higher than the bottom surface of the storage cabinet.

2. 2. The reheater of claim 1, A reheater characterized in that the step portion has an inclined surface portion on the upper surface thereof that is lower toward the inside of the storage compartment.

3. The reheater according to claim 1 or 2, A reheater characterized by comprising a guide member for guiding the steam-laden hot air circulating inside the storage compartment toward the opening.

4. The reheater according to claim 1 or 2, A reheater characterized in that a guard member is provided at the bottom of the opening to prevent hot air containing steam circulating inside the storage compartment from hitting the bottom of the door.

5. The reheater according to claim 1 or 2, The storage compartment is disposed with the opening close to one side of the housing, A reheater characterized in that a drain pan is provided on the lower bottom surface of one side of the housing where the opening of the storage compartment is located to collect condensation water flowing down from the opening.

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