Cooling system

Abstract

To provide a cooling system capable of suppressing elongation of a state where a temperature of a cooling target has been raised due to updating of a control program.SOLUTION: A cooling system 100 includes: a cooler 2 (302) that cools a cooling target by using a stored control program Pc; and a shop controller 1 (301) that performs control for causing the cooler 2 to update the control program Pc after cooling down to a cooling down temperature Tedt lower than a cooling temperature Tec in normal cooling of the cooling target or performs control for causing the cooler 302 to update the control program when defrosting of an evaporator 24 is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, cooling systems are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling system. The cooling system includes a refrigerator and an external communication center. The refrigerator includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a communication unit, and a control unit. The control unit controls the cooling of the refrigerator using refrigerator control software. The external communication center is configured to notify the refrigerator via the communication unit that update software for the refrigerator control software is available. Based on receiving a notification from the external communication center that update software is available, the control unit controls acquisition of the update software from the external communication center via the communication unit. After acquiring the update software, the control unit controls updating the refrigerator control software using the update software. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-303472 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although not explicitly stated, the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 is thought to stop the refrigerator control software from controlling the refrigerator's cooling, update the refrigerator control software, and then resume controlling the refrigerator's cooling after the refrigerator control software is updated. In this case, because the cooling control is stopped when the refrigerator control software is updated, the refrigerator's internal temperature rises, and then the refrigerator's cooling control is performed to return the internal temperature to the target set temperature. However, since the internal temperature of the refrigerator rises solely due to the refrigerator control software update, the time for the internal temperature of the refrigerator to rise increases accordingly, taking into account other factors that cause the temperature to rise. This causes the temperature of the object to be cooled (item temperature) to remain elevated for a longer period of time. This poses a problem in that the temperature of the object to be cooled remains elevated for a longer period of time due to the update of the refrigerator control software (control program).

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system that can prevent the temperature of the object to be cooled from remaining elevated for a long period of time due to updates to the control program. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A cooling system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, an expansion section that expands the condensed refrigerant, an evaporator that evaporates the expanded refrigerant to cool air, a cooling device that cools an object to be cooled using a stored control program, and a store controller that controls the cooling device to update its control program after cooling the object to a cooling temperature that is lower than the cooling temperature achieved by normal cooling, or that controls the cooling device to update its control program when defrosting the evaporator.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, a cooling system includes a store controller that, as described above, controls the cooling device to update its control program after cooling the object to a lower cooling temperature than the cooling temperature normally achieved by cooling the object, or controls the cooling device to update its control program when defrosting the evaporator. By controlling the cooling device to update its control program after cooling the object to a lower cooling temperature than the cooling temperature normally achieved by cooling the object, the temperature of the object to be cooled can be prevented from rising above the set cooling temperature even when cooling by the cooling device is stopped during the control program update. Furthermore, when the temperature inside the cooling device is increased to defrost the evaporator, controlling the cooling device to update its control program in accordance with the evaporator defrosting can prevent the temperature inside the cooling device from remaining higher than the set cooling temperature for an extended period of time compared to when the cooling device is stopped and the control program is updated at times other than when the evaporator is defrosted. These features prevent the temperature of the object to be cooled from remaining elevated due to the control program update.

[0009] In the cooling system according to the above aspect, preferably, the cooling device includes a cooling device control unit that controls cooling of the cooling target using a control program, and the store controller notifies the cooling device control unit of an instruction to update the control program after cooling to the cooling temperature or an instruction to update the control program when defrosting the evaporator. With this configuration, by having different control units perform the update scheduling for notifying the instruction to update the control program and the control program update, it is possible to prevent an increase in the processing load of the cooling device control unit of the cooling device compared to a case where both the control program update scheduling and the control program update are performed solely by the cooling device control unit of the cooling device.

[0010] In this case, the store controller is preferably configured to calculate the cooling temperature based on the required update time required to update the control program and the degree of temperature rise relative to the time when cooling by the cooling device is stopped. This configuration allows the cooling temperature to be calculated based on the required update time and the degree of temperature rise, so that the calculated cooling temperature can be used to prevent the temperature from dropping excessively and to cool the cooling device to an appropriate temperature.

[0011] In the cooling system in which the store controller controls the calculation of the chilling temperature, the cooling device control unit is preferably configured to stop cooling by the cooling device and update the control program after cooling to the calculated chilling temperature. With this configuration, by immediately stopping cooling by the cooling device and updating the control program after cooling to the chilling temperature, it is possible to start updating the control program when the temperature inside the cooling device is the same as or close to the chilling temperature. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the temperature inside the cooling device from becoming excessively high when the control program update is completed.

[0012] In the cooling system in which the cooling device includes the cooling device control unit, the store controller is preferably configured to update the control program when defrosting the evaporator based on the defrost start time stored in the cooling device. With this configuration, by updating the control program when defrosting the evaporator based on the defrost start time, the control program can be updated using the period during which the evaporator is defrosted in the cooling device, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of times the temperature in the cooling device rises. As a result, the amount of time the temperature in the cooling device remains high can be effectively suppressed.

[0013] In the cooling system in which the cooling device includes a cooling device control unit, the store controller is preferably configured to set, based on information about the defrosting start time and defrosting method stored in the cooling device, whether to update the control program after cooling to the cooling temperature or when defrosting the evaporator. Here, for example, in the case of a method that uses a heater for defrosting, the control program is updated after cooling to the cooling temperature without defrosting, and in the case of a method that does not use a heater for defrosting, the control program is updated when defrosting is performed. In this way, it is possible to set, depending on the defrosting method, whether to update the control program after cooling or when defrosting the evaporator, thereby effectively preventing the temperature in the cooling device from becoming excessively high when updating the control program.

[0014] In the cooling system in which the store controller updates the control program when defrosting the evaporator based on the defrost start time, the cooling device control unit is preferably configured to update the control program during a defrosting period in which the evaporator is defrosted, and then, based on completion of defrosting of the evaporator, start control of cooling the object to be cooled by the cooling device control unit. With this configuration, the update of the control program can be completed during the defrosting period and cooling of the object to be cooled by the cooling device control unit can be started, thereby preventing the time for which cooling by the cooling device is stopped from becoming longer than necessary due to the update of the control program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the object to be cooled from remaining elevated for a long period of time due to updating of the control program. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server and a cooling system on a cloud according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 5 is a flowchart showing control during program update of a server, a store controller, and a showcase on the cloud according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a graph showing an example of a change in temperature over time inside the showcase according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a store controller-side update process of the store controller according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart for explaining a cooling process of the cooling device controller according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart illustrating a program update process for the cooling device control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server and a cooling system on a cloud according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing control during program updates for a cloud-based server, a store controller, a showcase, and an ice case according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a timing chart for explaining an example of updating a program and executing and stopping cooling control of a showcase according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a timing chart for explaining an example of time, cooling control, and heater control execution and stop of the ice case according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an update timing setting process of a store controller according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0018] [First embodiment] The configuration of a cooling system 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0019] (Cooling system configuration) As shown in Fig. 1, refrigeration system 100 is a system used to cool objects such as merchandise and transported goods in convenience stores, supermarkets, refrigerated warehouses, etc. The following explanation will be given assuming that the system is applied to a convenience store. In this case, refrigeration system 100 is connected to a cloud server 200 via the Internet so that it can communicate with the cloud server 200. Information about other convenience stores is stored in cloud server 200.

[0020] The cooling system 100 includes a store controller 1, a showcase 2, an outside air temperature sensor 3, and an in-store temperature sensor 4. The showcase 2 is an example of the "cooling device" in the claims.

[0021] The store controller 1 controls devices such as the showcase 2 based on information acquired from the server 200 on the cloud and measurements from various sensors including the outside air temperature sensor 3 and the in-store temperature sensor 4.

[0022] The store controller 1 includes a processing unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The processing unit 11 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory unit 12 includes ROM, RAM, etc. The communication unit 13 is configured to connect to a server 200 on the cloud via the Internet. The communication unit 14 is configured to communicate with the showcase 2 at a low transfer rate. The communication unit 14 and the showcase 2 communicate via serial communication (RS485).

[0023] The showcase 2 is a device that cools (refrigerates) products (refrigerated objects) such as fresh foods and beverages displayed on shelves inside. The showcase 2 includes a compressor 21, a condenser 22, an expansion valve 23, an evaporator 24, an internal temperature sensor 25, a communication unit 26, and a cooling device control unit 27. The expansion valve 23 is an example of the "expansion unit" in the claims.

[0024] The compressor 21 is configured to compress the high-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flowing out from the evaporator 24 to produce high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The condenser 22 is configured to exchange heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 and outside air, thereby cooling the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant and condensing it into low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The expansion valve 23 is configured to expand the low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant flowing out from the condenser 22 to produce low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. The evaporator 24 is configured to exchange heat between the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flowing out from the expansion valve 23 and air, thereby evaporating the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, thereby cooling the air. The high-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant in the evaporator 24 then returns to the compressor 21. In this manner, the refrigerant circulates through the compressor 21, the condenser 22, the expansion valve 23, and the evaporator 24.

[0025] The in-storage temperature sensor 25 is a sensor that measures the temperature of the cool air in the storage space for products inside the storage. The communication unit 26 is configured to communicate with the store controller 1 at a low transfer rate. The communication unit 26 and the store controller 1 communicate via serial communication (RS485). The cooling device control unit 27 is configured to control the cooling in the showcase 2. The cooling device control unit 27 includes a processing unit 27a and a memory unit 27b. The processing unit 27a has a processor. The memory unit 27b includes ROM, RAM, etc. The memory unit 27b stores a control program Pc for controlling the cooling of the cooling object by the showcase 2. The cooling device control unit 27 performs cooling control and defrosting control of the showcase 2 using the control program Pc based on information acquired from the store controller 1 and measurement values ​​of various sensors including the outside air temperature sensor 3 and the in-store temperature sensor 4.

[0026] The outside air temperature sensor 3 is a sensor for measuring the temperature (and humidity) of the air outside the convenience store. The in-store temperature sensor 4 is a sensor for measuring the temperature (and humidity) inside the convenience store.

[0027] (Control program update) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control program Pc stored in the storage unit 27b of the cooling device control unit 27 is updated to upgrade the program, update the user interface, and fix program defects (bugs). An update program Pup for this control program Pc is created by a manufacturer's engineer and then stored in the cloud server 200. After the store controller 1 receives a program update instruction, the update program Pup stored in the cloud server 200 is transferred to the showcase 2 via the store controller 1. The transferred update program Pup is then applied in the showcase 2.

[0028] During the series of processes from receiving the program update instruction from the store controller 1 to completing application of the transferred update program Pup, the cooling device control unit 27 terminates execution of the control program Pc. As a result, the cooling device control unit 27 cannot control the compressor 21, the expansion valve 23, etc., and therefore stops cooling the products in the showcase 2.

[0029] Here, when the update program Pup is transferred, as described above, communication is performed using low-speed serial communication (RS485), and this transfer takes a long time (for example, about 10 minutes) compared to other update processes. Therefore, when the update program Pup is transferred, it is possible that the temperature of the product will rise above the target set temperature Tet (see FIG. 3) due to an increase in the temperature inside the showcase 2.

[0030] Therefore, in the cooling system 100 of the first embodiment, the cooling device control section 27 performs control to cool the interior of the showcase 2 in advance before updating the control program Pc based on the update program Pup.

[0031] A series of processes for updating the control program Pc will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0032] 2, in step S1, the cloud server 200 notifies the store controller 1 that the update program Pup is available based on the fact that the update program Pup has been stored. In step S2, the store controller 1 transmits a request to download the update program Pup based on the fact that the store controller 1 has received the notification of the update program Pup. In step S3, the cloud server 200 transmits the update program Pup to the store controller 1.

[0033] <Cooling start time and cooling temperature> In step S3, the store controller 1 calculates the start time of the control to cool the interior of the showcase 2 and the cooling temperature Tedt based on the receipt of the update program Pup.

[0034] Specifically, the store controller 1 calculates the required update time Tmu (see FIG. 3) required to update the control program Pc based on the size of the update program Pup and the communication speed of the serial communication (RS485). As an example, if the serial communication speed is 38,400 bps and the size of the update program Pup is 3.5 MB, the calculation results in approximately 10 minutes. The store controller 1 then calculates the cooling start time Tsc (see FIG. 3) by subtracting the required update time Tmu from the update start time when the update of the control program Pc begins. In this way, after receiving notification of the update of the control program Pc, the store controller 1 obtains the cooling start time Tsc for cooling to the cooling temperature Tedt (see FIG. 3).

[0035] The store controller 1 also calculates the cooling temperature Tedt (see FIG. 3) based on the required update time Tmu required to update the control program Pc and the temperature rise rate Gr (see FIG. 3) relative to the time when cooling by the showcase 2 is stopped. The store controller 1 calculates the temperature rise rate Gr based on the current refrigerator temperature measured by the refrigerator temperature sensor 25, the current outside temperature measured by the outside air temperature sensor 3, and the current temperature inside the store measured by the store temperature sensor 4. The store controller 1 calculates the rising temperature Ten (see FIG. 3) by multiplying the required update time Tmu by the temperature rise rate Gr. The store controller 1 calculates a temperature by adding the added temperature to the temperature calculated from the difference between the target set temperature Tet and the rising temperature Ten, and calculates the cooling temperature Tedt from the difference between the target set temperature Tet and the calculated temperature. In this way, the store controller 1 obtains the cooling temperature Tedt after receiving a notification of an update to the control program Pc. The obtained cooling temperature Tedt is lower than the normal cooling temperature Tec (see FIG. 3).

[0036] <Cooling control> As shown in FIG. 2, in step S4, the store controller 1 issues an instruction to start cooling control to the showcase 2 based on the fact that the cooling start time Tsc has passed. The store controller 1 also transmits a cooling temperature Tedt to the showcase 2. Based on receiving the instruction to start cooling control and the cooling temperature Tedt, the cooling device control unit 27 sets the current target set temperature Tet to the cooling temperature Tedt. The cooling device control unit 27 controls the cooling of the inside of the showcase 2 based on the cooling temperature Tedt. The cooling device control unit 27 transmits the inside temperature of the showcase 2 to the store controller 1 at predetermined time intervals.

[0037] Program Updates In step S6, based on the received notification that the internal temperature has reached the cooling temperature Tedt, the store controller 1 issues a program update instruction to the showcase 2. In step S7, based on receiving the program update instruction notification, the cooling device control unit 27 ends the control program Pc and stops cooling the showcase 2.

[0038] In step S8, the store controller 1 transfers the update program Pup based on the determination that cooling of the showcase 2 has stopped. As a result, the cooling device control unit 27 acquires the update program Pup for the control program Pc at a low transfer rate after cooling to the cooling temperature Tedt. After completing reception of the update program Pup, the cooling device control unit 27 updates the control program Pc with the update program Pup.

[0039] In step S9, based on the completion of the update of the control program Pc, the cooling device control unit 27 restarts the control program Pc that was terminated and resumes cooling of the showcase 2. In step S10, after confirming that cooling of the showcase 2 has resumed, the cooling device control unit 27 notifies the store controller 1 of the completion of the program update.

[0040] The above is a series of processes for updating the control program Pc.

[0041] As in the process described above, the store controller 1 controls the cooling device control unit 27 to update the control program Pc after cooling the product to the cooling temperature Tedt, which is lower than the cooling temperature Tec used for normal cooling of the product. After cooling the product to the cooling temperature Tedt, the store controller 1 issues an instruction to the cooling device control unit 27 to update the control program Pc. Then, after cooling the interior of the showcase 2 to the calculated cooling temperature Tedt, the cooling device control unit 27 stops cooling by the showcase 2 and updates the control program Pc.

[0042] (Store controller side update process) The store controller-side update process performed by the store controller 1 of the cooling system 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 4, in step S101, it is determined whether or not a notification that an update program Pup is available has been received from server 200 on the cloud. If a notification that an update program Pup is available has been received, the process proceeds to step S102, and if a notification that an update program Pup is available has not been received, step S101 is repeated. In step S102, a request to download the update program Pup is notified to server 200 on the cloud. After the update program Pup has been downloaded, the cooling start time Tsc and the cooling temperature Tedt are calculated.

[0044] In step S103, it is determined whether the cooling start time Tsc has passed. If the cooling start time Tsc has passed, the process proceeds to step S104, and if the cooling start time Tsc has not passed, step S103 is repeated. In step S104, an instruction to start cooling control is sent to the showcase 2. This causes the showcase 2 to start cooling control, which lowers the temperature inside the showcase 2 to the cooling temperature Tedt. At this time, the showcase 2 transmits the temperature inside the showcase 2 to the store controller 1 at predetermined time intervals.

[0045] In step S105, it is determined whether the temperature inside the showcase 2 has reached the cooling temperature Tedt. If the temperature inside the showcase 2 has reached the cooling temperature Tedt, the process proceeds to step S106, and if the temperature inside the showcase 2 has not reached the cooling temperature Tedt, step S105 is repeated. In step S106, a program update instruction is sent to the showcase 2. At this time, the control program Pc in the showcase 2 ends and cooling of the showcase 2 is stopped. After confirming that cooling of the showcase 2 has stopped, the store controller 1 is notified that cooling of the showcase 2 has stopped.

[0046] In step S107, after cooling of the showcase 2 has stopped, the update program Pup is transferred to the cooling device control unit 27. In step S108, it is determined whether or not an update completion notice has been received from the showcase 2. If an update completion notice has been received, the store controller-side update process is terminated, and if an update completion notice has not been received, step S108 is repeated.

[0047] (Cooling process) The cooling process performed by the cooling device control unit 27 of the cooling system 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, in step S201, it is determined whether a cooling control instruction has been issued. If a cooling control instruction has been issued, the process proceeds to step S202; if a cooling control instruction has not been issued, step S201 is repeated. In step S202, the target set temperature Tet is set to the cooling temperature Tedt received from the store controller 1. Then, once cooling control is initiated and the internal temperature has dropped to the cooling temperature Tedt, the cooling process ends.

[0049] (Program update process) The program update process performed by the cooling device control unit 27 of the cooling system 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6, in step S301, the set cooling temperature Tedt is returned to the original target set temperature Tet. In step S302, the control program Pc is terminated to stop cooling in the showcase 2. Then, after the update program Pup is transferred from the store controller 1 to the cooling device control unit 27, the cooling device control unit 27 updates the control program Pc based on the update program Pup. In step S303, it is determined whether the update of the update program Pup has been completed. If the update of the update program Pup has been completed, the process proceeds to step S304; if the update of the update program Pup has not been completed, step S303 is repeated. In step S304, the terminated control program Pc is restarted, and cooling by the showcase 2 begins. In step S305, a program update completion message is sent to the store controller 1, and the program update process ends.

[0051] (Effects of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0052] In the first embodiment, as described above, the cooling system 100 includes a store controller 1 that controls the showcase 2 to update the control program Pc after cooling the merchandise (the object to be cooled) to a cooling temperature Tedt that is lower than the cooling temperature Tec of the merchandise (the object to be cooled) in normal cooling. By controlling the showcase 2 to update the control program Pc after cooling the merchandise (the object to be cooled) to a cooling temperature Tedt that is lower than the cooling temperature Tec of the merchandise (the object to be cooled) in normal cooling, even if cooling by the showcase 2 is stopped when updating the control program Pc, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the merchandise (the object to be cooled) from becoming higher than the cooling temperature Tec due to an increase in the temperature inside the showcase 2 when updating the control program Pc. As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature (item temperature) of the merchandise (the object to be cooled) from remaining elevated for a long period of time due to updating the control program Pc.

[0053] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the showcase 2 includes a cooling device control unit 27 that controls the cooling of merchandise (targets for cooling) using the control program Pc. After cooling to the cooling temperature Tedt, the store controller 1 notifies the cooling device control unit 27 of an instruction to update the control program Pc. By having different control units perform the scheduling of the update to notify the instruction to update the control program Pc and the updating of the control program Pc, it is possible to prevent an increase in the processing load of the cooling device control unit 27 compared to when both the scheduling of the update of the control program Pc and the updating of the control program Pc are performed by the cooling device control unit 27 alone.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, when cooling to the cooling temperature Tedt, the store controller 1 calculates the cooling temperature Tedt based on the required update time Tmu required to update the control program Pc and the degree of temperature rise Gr relative to the time when cooling by the showcase 2 is stopped. This allows the cooling temperature Tedt to be calculated based on the respective values ​​of the required update time Tmu and the degree of temperature rise Gr, so that the use of the calculated cooling temperature Tedt can prevent the temperature from dropping excessively and cool the showcase 2 to an appropriate temperature.

[0055] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the cooling device control unit 27 stops the cooling by the showcase 2 after cooling to the calculated cooling temperature Tedt and updates the control program Pc. As a result, by immediately stopping the cooling by the showcase 2 after cooling to the cooling temperature Tedt and updating the control program Pc, it is possible to start updating the control program Pc when the temperature inside the showcase 2 is the same as or close to the cooling temperature Tedt. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the temperature inside the showcase 2 from becoming excessively high at the end of updating the control program Pc.

[0056] [Second embodiment] The configuration of a cooling system 300 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 11. Unlike the first embodiment, the second embodiment includes a cooling system 300 that includes a showcase 302 and an ice case 303. Note that detailed description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted in the second embodiment.

[0057] The configuration of a cooling system 300 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0058] (Cooling system configuration) 7, the cooling system 300 includes a store controller 301, a showcase 302, an ice case 303, an outside air temperature sensor 3, and an in-store temperature sensor 4. Each of the showcase 302 and the ice case 303 is an example of a "cooling device" in the claims.

[0059] The store controller 301 controls equipment such as the showcase 302 and ice case 303 based on information obtained from the server 200 on the cloud and measurements from various sensors including the outside air temperature sensor 3 and the in-store temperature sensor 4.

[0060] The store controller 301 includes a processing unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a communication unit 315. The communication unit 14 is configured to communicate with the showcase 302 at a low transfer rate. The communication unit 14 and the showcase 302 communicate via serial communication (RS485). The communication unit 315 is configured to communicate with the ice case 303 at a low transfer rate. The communication unit 315 and the ice case 303 communicate via serial communication (RS485).

[0061] The showcase 302 is a device that cools (freezes or refrigerates) products (refrigeration targets) such as fresh foods and beverages displayed on shelves inside. The showcase 302 includes a compressor 21, a condenser 22, an expansion valve 23, an evaporator 24, an internal temperature sensor 25, a communication unit 26, and a cooling device control unit 327. The expansion valve 23 is an example of the "expansion unit" in the claims.

[0062] The cooling device control unit 327 includes a processing unit 327a and a storage unit 327b. The processing unit 327a has a processor. The storage unit 327b includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like. A control program Pc for controlling the cooling of the cooling target by the showcase 302 is stored in the storage unit 327b. The storage unit 327b also stores information on a defrosting start time It1 and a defrosting method Id1. The information on the defrosting start time It1 is a preset defrosting start time. The information on the defrosting method Id1 is information indicating that the method is to stop cooling of the showcase 302 when defrosting the showcase 302. The cooling device control unit 327 performs control to stop cooling of the showcase 302 from the defrosting start time It1 using the control program Pc based on the information on the defrosting start time It1 and the information on the defrosting method Id1. The cooling device control unit 327 also performs control to measure a defrosting period Trd from the defrosting start time It1. The cooling device control unit 327 performs control to resume cooling of the showcase 302 by the control program Pc based on the fact that the defrosting period Trd has elapsed.

[0063] Ice case 303 is a device that cools (freezes) products (refrigeration targets) such as frozen foods, frozen foods, and ice displayed therein. Ice case 303 includes compressor 331, condenser 332, expansion valve 333, evaporator 334, internal temperature sensor 335, communication unit 336, heater 337, and cooling device control unit 338. Expansion valve 333 is an example of the "expansion unit" in the claims.

[0064] The compressor 331, condenser 332, expansion valve 333, evaporator 334, in-cabinet temperature sensor 335, and communication unit 336 have the same configuration as the compressor 21, condenser 22, expansion valve 23, evaporator 24, in-cabinet temperature sensor 25, and communication unit 26, respectively, and therefore their explanations are omitted.

[0065] The heater 337 is configured to heat the evaporator 334 when defrosting the evaporator 334. The cooling device control unit 338 includes a processing unit 338a and a memory unit 338b. The processing unit 338a has a processor. The memory unit 338b includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The memory unit 338b stores a control program Pi for controlling the cooling of an object to be cooled by the ice case 303. The memory unit 338b also stores information on a defrosting start time It2 and a defrosting method Id2. The information on the defrosting start time It2 is a preset start time of defrosting. The information on the defrosting method Id2 is information indicating that when defrosting the ice case 303, cooling of the ice case 303 is stopped and heating is performed for a predetermined period of time by the heater 337. The cooling device control unit 327 performs control to stop cooling of the showcase 302 from the defrost start time It1 using the control program Pi based on information on the defrost start time It2 and information on the defrost method Id2. The cooling device control unit 327 also performs control to heat the evaporator 334 by the heater 337 for a predetermined period of time from the defrost start time It1. The cooling device control unit 327 performs control to measure the defrost period Trd from the defrost start time It2. The cooling device control unit 327 performs control to resume cooling of the ice case 303 using the control program Pi based on the lapse of the defrost period Trd.

[0066] (Control program update) In the cooling system 300 of the second embodiment, the cooling device control unit 327 updates the control program Pc based on the update program Pup in accordance with defrosting. As in the first embodiment, the cooling device control unit 338 controls the interior of the ice case 303 to be cooled in advance before updating the control program Pi based on the update program Pup.

[0067] A series of processes for updating the control program Pc and the control program Pi will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 8, in step S401, the cloud-based server 200 notifies the store controller 301 that the update program Pup is available based on the fact that it has been stored. In step S402, based on receiving the notification of the update program Pup, the store controller 301 transmits a request to download the update program Pup. The store controller 301 also requests the showcase 302 to transmit information on the defrosting start time It1 and the defrosting method Id1, and requests the ice case 303 to transmit information on the defrosting start time It2 and the defrosting method Id2. In step S403, the cloud-based server 200 transmits the update program Pup to the store controller 301. In step S404, the showcase 302 transmits information on the defrosting start time It1 and the defrosting method Id1 to the store controller 301. In step S405, the ice case 303 transmits information on the defrosting start time It2 and the defrosting method Id2 to the store controller 301.

[0069] <Update timing settings> In step S406, the store controller 301 determines, based on the defrosting start time It1 and defrosting method Id1, and the defrosting start time It2 and defrosting method Id2, whether to perform control to update the control program Pc and the control program Pi after cooling to the cooling temperature Tedt, or to perform control to update the control program Pc and the control program Pi when defrosting the evaporator 24.

[0070] The defrosting method Id1 for the showcase 302 is a method for stopping cooling of the showcase 302 from the defrost start time St to the defrost completion time En when the showcase 302 is defrosted (see FIG. 9), so the store controller 301 sets the control to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24. As a result, based on the setting by the store controller 301, when defrosting the evaporator 24, the cooling device control unit 327 ends the control program Pc to stop cooling of the showcase 302 and updates the control program Pc.

[0071] The defrosting method Id2 for the ice case 303 suspends cooling of the ice case 303 from the defrost start time St to the defrost completion time En, but heats the ice case 303 for a predetermined time using the heater 337 (see FIG. 10 ). Therefore, the store controller 301 sets the control to update the control program Pi after cooling the ice case 303 to the cooling temperature Tedt. Because the control program Pi cannot be terminated for the ice case 303 because it requires heating by the heater 337 for a predetermined time, the control to update the control program Pi after cooling is set is set. Based on the settings made by the store controller 301, the cooling device control unit 327 terminates the control program Pi to stop cooling the ice case 303 and update the control program Pi after cooling the ice case 303 to the cooling temperature Tedt at a time other than the time to defrost the evaporator 24.

[0072] Upon receiving the update program Pup, the store controller 301 calculates the cooling start time Tsc and cooling temperature Tedt for the control of cooling the interior of the ice case 303. Furthermore, upon receiving the update program Pup, the store controller 301 sets the defrosting start time It1 for the showcase 302 as the update start time for starting the update of the control program Pc. Here, the control of cooling the interior of the ice case 303 is made up of steps such as step S413 and step S414, but as these are the same as steps S4 to S10 in the first embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted. Below, only the update of the control program Pc for the showcase 302 will be described.

[0073] In step S407, the cooling device control unit 327 stops cooling the showcase 302 and starts defrosting based on the passage of the defrosting start time It1, and notifies the store controller 301 that the defrosting start time It1 has passed. In step S408, based on receiving the notification, the store controller 301 notifies the showcase 302 of a program update instruction. In step S409, based on receiving the program update instruction notification, the cooling device control unit 327 terminates the control program Pc.

[0074] In step S408, the store controller 301 transfers the update program Pup based on the determination that cooling of the showcase 302 has stopped. As a result, after starting defrosting, the cooling device control unit 327 acquires the update program Pup for the control program Pc at a low transfer rate. After completing reception of the update program Pup, the cooling device control unit 327 updates the control program Pc using the update program Pup.

[0075] In step S411, the cooling device control unit 327 restarts the terminated control program Pc based on the completion of the update of the control program Pc, and returns the showcase 302 to a state where cooling is possible. In step S412, the cooling device control unit 327 confirms that the showcase 302 has returned to a state where cooling is possible, and then notifies the store controller 301 of the completion of the program update. Furthermore, based on the completion of defrosting of the evaporator 24, the cooling device control unit 327 starts control to cool the products (targets to be cooled) by the cooling device control unit 327. Here, after defrosting the evaporator 24, in the showcase 302, pull-down (cooling) is performed to rapidly cool the interior of the showcase 302 by setting the degree of supercooling of the evaporator 24 to a lower limit.

[0076] The above is a series of processes for updating the control program Pc.

[0077] As described above, the store controller 301 controls the showcase 302 to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24. Specifically, the store controller 301 issues an instruction to the cooling device control unit 327 to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24. The cooling device control unit 327 updates the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24 based on the passage of the defrosting start time It1 stored in the showcase 302 and the receipt of a notification from the store controller 301. Here, if the cooling device control unit 327 is set to perform control to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24, it stops cooling by the showcase 302 for defrosting and updates the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24 begins. Then, the cooling device control unit 327 acquires the update program Pup for the control program Pc at a low transfer rate when defrosting the evaporator 24.

[0078] In addition, the cooling device control unit 327 updates the control program Pc during the defrosting period Trd in which the evaporator 24 is defrosted, and then, based on the completion of defrosting of the evaporator 24, starts controlling the cooling of the goods by the cooling device control unit 327.

[0079] (Update timing setting process) The update timing setting process performed by the store controller 301 of the cooling system 300 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0080] 11, in step S501, it is determined whether the control programs Pc and Pi can be terminated during defrosting based on the information on each of the defrosting methods Id1 and Id2. For the defrosting methods Id1 and Id2 that are configured to terminate the control programs Pc and Pi during defrosting, the process proceeds to step S502, where an update is set to be performed during defrosting, and the update timing setting process is terminated. For the defrosting methods Id1 and Id2 that are not configured to terminate the control programs Pc and Pi during defrosting, the process proceeds to step S503, where an update is set to be performed after cooling control, and the update timing setting process is terminated.

[0081] The other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0082] (Effects of the second embodiment) In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0083] In the second embodiment, as described above, the cooling system 300 includes a store controller 301 that controls the showcase 302 to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24. As a result, when defrosting the evaporator 24 by raising the temperature inside the showcase 302, the store controller 301 controls the showcase 302 to update the control program Pc in accordance with the defrosting of the evaporator 24. This makes it possible to prevent an increase in the time during which the temperature inside the showcase 302 remains excessively high relative to the cooling temperature Tec, which is caused by an increase in the temperature inside the showcase 302 when updating the control program Pc, compared to when the showcase 302 is stopped and the control program Pc is updated at times other than when defrosting the evaporator 24. As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature (item temperature) of the commodity (to be cooled) from remaining elevated for an extended period of time, which is caused by updating the control program Pc.

[0084] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as described above, the store controller 301 performs control to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24, based on the defrosting start time It1 stored in the showcase 302. Here, defrosting the evaporator 24 stops cooling the showcase 302 and raises the temperature of the evaporator 24, thereby raising the temperature of the showcase 302. Therefore, by performing control to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24, based on the defrosting start time It1, the control program Pc can be updated using the period of defrosting the evaporator 24 performed in the showcase 302, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of times the temperature inside the showcase 302 rises. As a result, an increase in the time during which the temperature inside the showcase 302 remains excessively high can be effectively suppressed.

[0085] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as described above, the store controller 301 determines whether to update the control program Pc after cooling to the cooling temperature Tedt or to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24, based on the information on the defrosting method Id1 and the defrosting method Id2 stored in the showcase 302. This makes it possible to set, depending on each of the defrosting method Id1 and the defrosting method Id2, whether to update the control program Pc after cooling or to update the control program Pc when defrosting the evaporator 24, thereby effectively preventing the temperatures inside the showcase 302 and the ice case 303 from becoming excessively high when updating the control program Pc.

[0086] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as described above, the cooling device control unit 327 updates the control program Pc during the defrosting period Trd in which the evaporator 24 is defrosted, and then starts control of cooling the commodities (to be cooled) by the cooling device control unit 327 based on the completion of defrosting of the evaporator 24. This allows the update of the control program Pc to be completed during the defrosting period Trd and the cooling of the commodities (to be cooled) by the cooling device control unit 327 to start, thereby preventing the time for which cooling of the showcase 302 is stopped from becoming longer than necessary due to the update of the control program Pc.

[0087] The other effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] [Variations] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0089] For example, in the second embodiment described above, the defrosting method Id2 for the ice case 303 halts cooling of the ice case 303 from the defrost start time St to the defrost completion time En, but heats the ice case 303 for a predetermined time using the heater 337 (see FIG. 10). Therefore, the store controller 301 is configured to update the control program Pi after the ice case 303 has been cooled to the cooling temperature Tedt. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 10, even with the defrosting method Id2 for the ice case 303, the control of the heater 337 ends a predetermined time after the defrost start time St. Therefore, the control program Pi may be terminated and updated during the draining period from the predetermined time to the defrost completion time En.

[0090] In the first embodiment, the cooling device control unit 27 cools the inside of the showcase 2 (cooling device) based on the cooling temperature Tedt, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cooling device control unit may cool the inside of the cooling device by increasing the speed of the fan that sends air to the evaporator based on the cooling temperature.

[0091] In the first embodiment described above, the store controller 1 calculates the cooling temperature Tedt (see FIG. 3) based on the calculated required update time Tmu and the calculated temperature rise degree Gr (see FIG. 3), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, if the cooling system does not have an outside air temperature sensor, the store controller may calculate the cooling temperature based on the required update time and the temperature rise degree calculated by a nearby store and obtained via the cloud.

[0092] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, for the sake of convenience, the control processing of the store controller 1 (301) and the cooling device control units 27 (327, 328) is explained using a flow-driven flowchart in which processing is performed in order according to a processing flow, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control processing of the store controller and the cooling device control units may be performed using event-driven processing in which processing is performed on an event-by-event basis. In this case, the control processing may be performed completely event-driven, or may be performed in a combination of event-driven and flow-driven processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1, 301 store controller 2, 302 Showcase (refrigeration device) 21, 331 Compressor 22, 332 Condenser 23, 333 Expansion valve (expansion section) 24, 334 Evaporator 27, 327, 338 Cooling device control unit 100, 300 Cooling System 303 Ice Case (Refrigeration Device) Gr Temperature rise Id1, Id2 Defrosting method It1, It2 Defrosting start time Pc, Pi control program St Start defrosting Tec cooling temperature Tedt Chilling Temperature Tmu Required update time Trd defrost period

Claims

1. a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, an expansion section that expands the condensed refrigerant, an evaporator that evaporates the expanded refrigerant to cool air, and a cooling device that cools an object to be cooled according to a stored control program; A cooling system comprising: a store controller that controls the cooling device to update the control program after cooling the object to a cooling temperature that is lower than the cooling temperature of normal cooling, or that controls the cooling device to update the control program when defrosting the evaporator.

2. the cooling device includes a cooling device control unit that controls cooling of the cooling target according to the control program, The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the store controller issues an instruction to the cooling device control unit to update the control program after cooling to the cooling temperature, or an instruction to the cooling device control unit to update the control program when defrosting the evaporator.

3. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the store controller is configured to calculate the cooling temperature based on the update time required to update the control program and the degree of temperature rise over time when cooling by the cooling device is stopped.

4. The cooling system according to claim 3 , wherein the cooling device control unit is configured to stop the cooling by the cooling device and update the control program after the temperature has been cooled to the calculated cooling temperature.

5. 3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the store controller is configured to perform control to update the control program when defrosting the evaporator based on a defrosting start time stored in the cooling device.

6. 3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the store controller is configured to set, based on information about a defrosting method stored in the cooling device, whether to perform control to update the control program after cooling to the cooling temperature or to perform control to update the control program when defrosting the evaporator.

7. 6. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the cooling device control unit is configured to update the control program during a defrosting period in which the evaporator is defrosted, and then start control of cooling the object to be cooled by the cooling device control unit based on completion of defrosting of the evaporator.

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