Liquid freezing apparatus

Abstract

To easily lock a storage basket to a hook provided in an upper surface opening part of a freezing tank.SOLUTION: This liquid freezing device 10 is provided with a freezing tank 20 having an opening part 20a on an upper surface and freezing a freezing object by an antifreeze liquid stored inside, and a storage basket 50 for storing the freezing object and immersing it in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. A hook 22 is provided on the 20a of an opening on the upper surface of the freezing tank 20, and an arm 62 supported rotatably around a horizontal axis by the 62a of a rotation support part is provided on the upper part of the storage basket 50 facing the hook 22. The arm 62 includes a locking portion 62b that can be locked to the hook at a lower portion and an operation handle portion 62c at an upper portion, and the operation handle portion 62b extends inward in the widthwise direction on the upper side of the storage basket 50 so that the locking portion 62c is disposed at a separated position where the locking portion inner wall can be locked to the hook 22 when no external force is applied to the arm 62.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid freezing device that freezes food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other frozen objects using cooled antifreeze liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a food freezing device that freezes food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other frozen objects using cooled antifreeze liquid. This food freezing device includes a freezing tank that stores antifreeze liquid, a freezing device that cools the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank, and a stirring means that stirs the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank. In this food freezing device, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank is cooled by a refrigerant that circulates through refrigerant pipes that make up the freezing device, and is stirred by the stirring means to maintain a uniform temperature. When food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other frozen objects are immersed in the freezing tank, the objects exchange heat with the antifreeze liquid and are frozen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-298973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When freezing food ingredients, food products, etc. in the food freezing device (liquid freezing device) used in Patent Document 1, the food ingredients, food products, etc. are stored in a basket (storage basket), and the basket containing the food ingredients is immersed in antifreeze liquid in a freezing tank (freezing tank). When the storage basket is lifted after the food ingredients, food products, etc. have been frozen in the freezing tank, the antifreeze liquid adhering to the food ingredients and the storage basket drips, and there is a risk that the antifreeze liquid will stain the area around the food freezing device.

[0005] Prior to this application, the applicant filed a patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-017569) for a liquid freezing device that allows the storage basket to be supported above the antifreeze level at the opening in the top surface of the freezing tank in order to allow antifreeze adhering to the storage basket and the objects to be frozen to drain off above the freezing tank. The storage basket used in this liquid freezing device invention has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and is provided with frame-shaped arms at the top of both sides that are rotatable about a horizontal axis. The frame-shaped arms are rotatably supported on the top of the side surfaces of the storage basket by pivoting supports, and the lower part of the frame-shaped arms is provided with a locking part that engages with a hook provided in the top opening of the freezing tank below the pivoting support part, and the upper part of the frame-shaped arms is provided with a handle above the pivoting support part that grips and raises and lowers the storage basket. When the arm is standing vertically on the side of the storage basket, the locking portion at the bottom of the arm is in a close position close to the side of the storage basket and is in a position where it cannot be locked by the hook provided at the top opening of the freezing tank. When a force is applied to tilt the handle inward in the width direction of the storage basket, the locking portion at the bottom of the arm tilts from the close position close to the side of the storage basket to a separated position where it can be locked by the hook provided at the top opening of the freezing tank.

[0006] When the storage basket containing the items to be frozen is immersed in the antifreeze solution in the freezing tank, the arm stands vertically, and the locking part at the bottom of the arm is positioned in a close position close to the side of the storage basket. When the storage basket containing the items to be frozen is to be drained above the antifreeze solution in the freezing tank, the storage basket containing the items to be frozen is lifted from the freezing tank, and a force is applied to tilt the handle at the top of the arm inward in the width direction of the storage basket, moving the locking part at the bottom of the arm away from the side of the storage basket to a separated position, and the locking part at the bottom of the arm is engaged with a hook provided at the top opening of the freezing tank, so that the storage basket is supported above the antifreeze at the top opening of the freezing tank. When a storage basket that has become heavy with a large amount of frozen materials is lifted from the freezing tank by the handle, in order to tilt the handle inward in the width direction of the storage basket while the heavy storage basket is lifted, an upward force must be applied to the handle, and then an inward force must be applied to the storage basket while it is lifted, resulting in the problem that strong forces must be applied in two directions to support the storage basket on the hooks provided at the top opening of the freezing tank.The object of the present invention is to make it easier to lock the storage basket on the hooks provided at the top opening of the freezing tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a liquid freezing device that includes a freezing tank that has an opening on the top surface and freezes objects to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored inside, and a storage basket for storing objects to be frozen and immersing them in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank. The opening on the top surface of the freezing tank has hooks on both sides that face horizontally to support the storage basket above the antifreeze liquid level, and the upper parts of both sides of the storage basket that face the hooks are supported by pivotal supports that allow the basket to pivot around a horizontal axis, and the hooks approach the sides of the storage basket below the pivotal supports. The present invention provides a liquid freezing device comprising an arm having a locking portion that can be locked onto a hook when tilted from a close position to a distant position, and an operating handle that extends above the pivot support portion and above the storage basket so that it can be grasped and used to raise and lower the storage basket and that can be used to tilt the locking portion between the close position and the distant position, and the operating handle extends inward in the width direction above the storage basket so that the locking portion is positioned at the distant position when no external force is being applied to the arm.

[0008] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, hooks are provided on both horizontally opposing sides of the opening in the top surface of the freezing tank for supporting the storage basket above the antifreeze liquid level, and arms are provided at the upper part of both sides of the storage basket opposite the hooks and are supported by pivotal supports so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis. The arms are equipped with a locking portion below the pivotal supports that can engage with the hooks when rotated from a close position approaching the side of the storage basket to a distant position away from it, and an operating handle that is above the pivotal supports and extends above the storage basket, can be gripped and used to raise and lower the storage basket, and can be used to rotate the locking portion between the close position and the distant position. The operating handle portion above the pivoting support portion extends inward in the width direction above the storage basket so that the locking portion is positioned in the separated position when no external force is being applied to the arm.Therefore, when the storage basket is lifted above the opening on the top surface of the freezing tank, the locking portion of the arm tilts to the separated position away from the side of the storage basket without applying force to the operating handle portion to rotate the locking portion of the arm to the separated position away from the side of the storage basket, making it easier to lock the locking portion of the arm into the hook provided at the opening of the freezing tank.

[0009] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, the operating handle is preferably provided with a handle for gripping the storage basket outside the inner end of the storage basket in the width direction. Because the handle is located outside the width direction end of the operating handle, when the storage basket is gripped with each hand to immerse it in the freezing tank, the left and right hands are farther apart from each other than when the left and right hands grip the inner end of the operating handle in the width direction of the storage basket, making the storage basket less likely to wobble in the width direction when lifted, and more stable. Furthermore, because the handle is closer to the pivot support than the inner end of the operating handle in the width direction of the storage basket, the movement distance of the handle when tilting the locking part from the separated position to the approached position is shorter, improving operability.

[0010] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, a lifting handle used to lift and lower the storage basket is preferably provided at the top of the storage basket, located inside the widthwise end of the operating handle. When the lifting handle is grasped to lift the storage basket immersed in antifreeze in the freezing tank, no external force is applied to the arm, and the operating handle of the arm tilts inside the widthwise direction of the storage basket under its own weight, causing the locking portion of the arm to tilt from the close position to the far position, making it easier to lock the locking portion of the arm with a hook provided at the opening of the freezing tank.

[0011] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, it is preferable to provide anti-tilt sections at the bottom of both sides of the storage basket facing the hooks, which can be engaged with the sides of the opening of the freezing tank where the hooks of the freezing tank are provided, to prevent the storage basket from tilting toward the sides of the opening where the hooks are provided, and to position the anti-tilt sections so as not to face the hooks. The anti-tilt sections make it difficult for the storage basket to tilt toward the sides where the hooks are provided, and because the anti-tilt sections are positioned so as not to face the hooks, the anti-tilt sections can be prevented from getting caught on the hooks.

[0012] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, the storage basket preferably includes an inlet / outlet portion on one horizontal side thereof, which is an opening through which the frozen items can be inserted and removed; a shelf portion that can be inserted and removed through the inlet / outlet portion and that allows the frozen items to be arranged vertically in multiple tiers within the storage basket; support rails that support the widthwise ends of the shelf portion on both sides of the inlet / outlet portion within the storage basket; and a rear support portion on the other horizontal side thereof that can support the rear side of the shelf portion. In this configuration, even if a large amount of frozen items is placed on the shelf portion, the rear side of the shelf portion is supported by the rear support portion, making it less likely to bend downward. In this case, it is preferable that the inlet / outlet portion side of the support portion be inclined downward. In this configuration, when the shelf portion is inserted all the way into the other side of the storage basket opposite the inlet / outlet portion, the shelf portion is less likely to hit the inlet / outlet portion side of the rear support portion, making it easier to insert the shelf portion above the rear support portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liquid freezing device of the present invention when the lid is open. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the liquid freezing device with the lid closed, taken along the front-rear direction at the center in the left-right direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the front part of the liquid freezing device with the lid closed, taken along the left-right direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a liquid freezing device, focusing on a freezing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the storage basket with the shelf portion pulled out forward. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the storage basket with the shelf portion stored. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the storage basket at the center in the left-right direction. [Figure 8] 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the storage basket at the center in the left-right direction, with the front portion of the rear support portion tilted downward. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the storage basket with the arms raised. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the locking portion of the storage basket is locked to a hook at the opening of the freezing tank. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of the liquid freezing device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The liquid freezing device 10 of the present invention is also called a liquid freezer, and uses an antifreeze liquid containing ethanol (57 wt%) to rapidly freeze food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other frozen objects. Food ingredients, food to be cooked, and other frozen objects are mainly sealed in packaging bags using a vacuum packaging machine or the like, and after being frozen in the liquid freezing device 10, they are stored frozen in a freezer.

[0015] 1 to 3, liquid freezing apparatus 10 comprises a freezing tank 20 at the top of housing 11 and a machine chamber 12 at the bottom. Freezing tank 20 freezes the object to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored inside, and is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with an opening 20a formed on the top surface for putting the object to be frozen in and taking it out. Opening 20a on the top surface of freezing tank 20 is closed by a lid 21 that can be opened and closed freely, and lid 21 is supported on the upper rear side of housing 11 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis.

[0016] Opening 20a of freezing tank 20 includes an inclined portion 20b that slopes diagonally outward as it extends upward from the upper portion of the side of freezing tank 20, excluding the rear portion of freezing tank 20, and a horizontal portion 20c that extends horizontally outward from the upper end of inclined portion 20b. When antifreeze adhering to storage basket 50 is lifted from freezing tank 20 and falls into opening 20a, inclined portion 20b makes it easy for the fallen antifreeze to return to freezing tank 20. Furthermore, when antifreeze adhering to storage basket 50 is lifted from freezing tank 20 and falls into opening 20a, the fallen antifreeze is received by horizontal portion 20c and is less likely to scatter around.

[0017] Hooks 22 are provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the hooks 22 are arranged on the left and right inclined portions 20b on both sides of the opening 20a that face each other in the horizontal direction. The hooks 22 support the storage basket 50 above the antifreeze liquid level at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and are arranged in two locations, at the front and rear of each of the left and right inclined portions 20b.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a partition plate 23 is provided at the rear of freezing tank 20, and partition plate 23 divides freezing tank 20 to allow antifreeze liquid to pass through. As shown in Figure 3, partition plate 23 has multiple openings 23a formed therein through which antifreeze liquid can pass, and passages 23b through which antifreeze liquid can pass are formed between partition plate 23 and the bottom of freezing tank 20. Inside freezing tank 20, the area in front of partition plate 23 is an immersion area 20d for immersing objects to be frozen in antifreeze liquid, and the area behind partition plate 23 is a cooling area 20e for cooling the antifreeze liquid. A lower limit mark 23c indicating the lower limit of the antifreeze liquid level in freezing tank 20 and an upper limit mark 23d indicating the upper limit of the antifreeze liquid level are engraved on the top of partition plate 23, and the antifreeze liquid in freezing tank 20 is encouraged to reach a liquid level between lower limit mark 23c and upper limit mark 23d. A temperature sensor 24 is provided in the freezing tank 20 and detects the temperature of the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 .

[0019] 2 and 4, an evaporator pipe 36 constituting the refrigeration device 30 is spirally wound and disposed in the cooling region 20e, and the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the refrigerant passing through the evaporator pipe 36. As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigeration device 30 includes a compressor 31 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 32 that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pressure-fed from the compressor 31, a dryer 33 that removes moisture contained in the liquefied refrigerant, a line valve 34 consisting of a solenoid valve provided downstream of the dryer 33, an expansion valve 35 that expands the liquefied refrigerant to form a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator pipe 36 that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 35 to cool the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. In the refrigeration device 30, the compressor 31, the condenser 32, the dryer 33, the line valve 34, the expansion valve 35, and the evaporator pipe 36 are connected in a ring shape by refrigerant pipes to form a refrigeration circuit in which the refrigerant circulates. When refrigerant is circulated through the refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration device 30, the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is cooled in the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant, and the liquefied refrigerant is converted into a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant by the expansion valve 35. The low-pressure liquefied refrigerant cools the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 by the heat of vaporization when it evaporates in the evaporation pipe 36.

[0020] The refrigeration system 30 also has a liquid injection line 37 connecting the compressor 31 with the space between the dryer 33 and the line valve 34, and a liquid injection valve 38 consisting of a solenoid valve is installed in the liquid injection line 37. The liquid injection line 37 sends refrigerant between the condenser 32 and the expansion valve 35 to the compressor 31, and is used to prevent the compressor 31 from overheating due to the latent heat of evaporation of the liquid refrigerant. The refrigeration system also has a refrigerant charge port 39 on the low-pressure side, upstream of the compressor 31, which is used when refilling the refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration system 30 with refrigerant, recovering refrigerant, or vacuuming the refrigeration circuit.

[0021] When the refrigeration device 30 is not operating, the line valve 34 and the liquid injection valve 38 are closed. When a specific operation is performed using various switches on the operation panel 71 described later, the line valve 34 and the liquid injection valve 38 are controlled to open while the liquid freezing device 10 is not operating (when the refrigeration device 30 is not operating to cool the antifreeze liquid and the antifreeze liquid is not being agitated by the agitator 40), and this makes it possible to replenish the refrigerant from the charge port 39, recover the refrigerant, or create a vacuum.

[0022] When charge ports are provided on both the high-pressure and low-pressure sides of the compressor 31, it is easy to recover refrigerant stagnating in the condenser 32 and the evaporator tubes 36 from each charge port. However, in a configuration where the charge port 39 is provided only on the low-pressure side of the compressor 31, as in this embodiment, it takes a long time to recover refrigerant remaining in the evaporator tubes 36. Even in a configuration where the charge port 39 is provided only on the low-pressure side of the compressor 31, the line valve 34 and the liquid injection valve 38 are controlled to open when specific switches on the operation panel 71 are operated. This means that when refrigerant is replenished, refrigerant is recovered, or a vacuum is drawn through the charge port 39, it does not take a long time to recover refrigerant remaining in the evaporator tubes 36. Furthermore, because the line valve 34 and the liquid injection valve 38 are controlled to open when specific switches on the operation panel 71 are operated, the work of removing the coils of the line valve 34 and the liquid injection valve 38 is unnecessary. In addition, when the line valve 34 and the liquid injection valve 38 are controlled to be opened when a specific operation is performed using various switches on the operation panel 71, it is preferable to display on the display panel of the operation panel 71 that the line valve 34 and the liquid injection valve 38 are open.

[0023] 2, in cooling region 20e of freezing tank 20, a stirring blade 44 of a stirring device 40 is disposed inside spirally wound evaporation tube 36, and the antifreeze solution in freezing tank 20 is stirred by the rotation of stirring blade 44 of agitator 40. Agitator 40 is provided with a stirring motor 42 above a support plate 41 installed at the rear of freezing tank 20, and a rotating shaft 43 of stirring motor 42 hangs down inside spirally wound evaporation tube 36 in freezing tank 20. A stirring blade 44 is provided at the tip of rotating shaft 43, and stirring blade 44 rotates when agitator motor 42 is operated. When the agitator blades 44 are rotated, the antifreeze liquid in the cooling region 20e is cooled as it passes inside the spiral evaporator pipe 36, the cooled antifreeze liquid passes through the bottom of the evaporator pipe 36 and is discharged to the outside, and the discharged antifreeze liquid flows toward the immersing region 20d through the passage 23b between the lower end of the partition plate 23 and the bottom wall of the freezing tank 20. The antifreeze liquid discharged to the immersing region 20d flows toward the cooling region 20e through the opening 23a of the partition plate 23, and the antifreeze liquid discharged to the cooling region 20e flows inside from the upper side of the spiral evaporator pipe 36. In this way, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the evaporator pipe 36 as it circulates between the immersing region 20d and the cooling region 20e.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid freezing device 10 includes a storage basket 50 for storing food ingredients, food to be frozen, and immersing the food ingredients in the freezing tank 20. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the storage basket 50 is made by bending and bonding a plurality of wires (metal wires), and includes substantially rectangular front and rear frame portions 51, 52 spaced apart from each other at the front and rear, and substantially rectangular left and right frame portions 53, 54 spaced apart from each other at the left and right sides, forming a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape overall. As shown in Figure 6, the storage basket 50 includes a plurality of shelves 61 spaced apart from each other above and below, allowing the items to be frozen to be arranged in multiple tiers on the shelves 61.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5 , the front and rear frame portions 51, 52 have the same generally rectangular shape and are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction, with twelve connecting bars 55 provided between the front and rear frame portions 51, 52. The connecting bars 55 are generally U-shaped with an open front and connect the upper and lower parts of the front and rear frame portions 51, 52. The twelve connecting bars 55 are equally spaced left and right on the upper, rear, and lower sides between the front and rear frame portions 51, 52, thereby preventing the frozen items in the storage basket 50 from escaping from the upper, rear, and lower sides. Furthermore, because no connecting bars 55 are provided inside the front frame portion 51, the inside of the front frame portion 51 functions as an entrance / exit portion 50a, which is an opening through which the frozen items and the shelf portion 61 can enter and exit the storage basket 50. An auxiliary bar 56 extending left and right is provided in the vertical middle of the rear frame portion 52, and the auxiliary bar 56 has the function of preventing the rear frame portion 52 from bending left and right and also preventing the frozen objects stored in the storage basket 50 from escaping from the rear side.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the left and right frame portions 53, 54 have the same generally rectangular shape and are spaced apart from each other, connecting the left and right sides of the front and rear frame portions 51, 52. The upper ends of the left and right frame portions 53, 54 extend upward beyond the upper ends of the front and rear frame portions 51, 52. The lower ends of the left and right frame portions 53, 54 extend downward beyond the lower ends of the front and rear frame portions 51, 52, and the lower ends of the left and right frame portions 53, 54 function as legs when placing the storage basket 50. A support bar 57 is provided on the upper part of the left frame portion 53 (right frame portion 54) at the same height as the upper ends of the front and rear frame portions 51, 52, and an arm 62 (described later) is rotatably supported by the support bar 57. Four support pillars 58 are provided spaced apart from each other in the front and back between the support bar 57 and the lower part of the left frame part 53 (right frame part 54).These support pillars 58 prevent the support bar 57 from bending downward and also function to prevent frozen items stored in the storage basket 50 from escaping from the left and right sides.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the left and right frame portions 53, 54 are provided with a pair of left and right support rails 59 that support the shelf portion 61. In this embodiment, the support rails 59 are arranged in four vertical tiers on each of the left and right frame portions 53, 54. The support rails 59 extend in the depth direction (front-to-back direction) of the storage basket 50 and include a lower rail 59a that supports the lower sides of the left and right ends of the shelf portion 61, and an upper rail 59b that covers the upper sides of the left and right ends of the shelf portion 61. The lower rail 59a extends front-to-back between the front and rear of the left frame portion 53 (right frame portion 54) while curving inward of the storage basket 50, and is fixed to the front and rear of the left frame portion 53 (right frame portion 54). The upper rail 59b extends longitudinally between the third support post 58 from the front and the rear of the left frame part 53 (right frame part 54) while curving inward of the storage basket 50, and is fixed to the third support post 58 from the front and the rear of the left frame part 53 (right frame part 54). The upper rail 59b has the function of restricting the shelf part 61 from moving upward when the frozen objects placed on the lower shelf part 61 tend to float up in the antifreeze solution. The lower and upper rails 59a, 59b are positioned more inward in the width direction of the storage basket 50 than the support post 58.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the connecting bar 55 is provided with rear support portions 60 that can support the rear portion of the shelf portion 61, which is the rear side. In this embodiment, the rear support portions 60 are arranged in four vertical tiers, similar to the support rails 59. The rear support portions 60 extend in the width direction (left-right direction) of the storage basket 50 while curving inward of the storage basket 50, and are fixed to the fifth connecting bar 55 from the left and the fifth connecting bar 55 from the right. The rear support portions 60 are positioned slightly lower than the lower rails 59a, and are positioned slightly below the rear portions of the shelf portions 61 supported by the left and right lower rails 59a. Because the rear support portions 60 are positioned slightly below the rear portions of the shelf portions 61 supported by the left and right lower rails 59a, the shelf portions 61 can be easily inserted deep into the storage basket 50 without coming into contact with the rear support portions 60. When a heavy object to be frozen is placed on the shelf 61, and the widthwise center of the shelf 61 bends downward, the widthwise (left-right) center of the shelf 61 is supported from below by the rear support portion 60 at the rear (rear) of the storage basket 50. This prevents the shelf 61 from coming off the support rails 59 on both the left and right sides, even when a heavy object to be frozen is placed on the shelf 61. Note that, as shown in FIG. 8, when the front portion of the rear support portion 60 (the side of the entrance / exit portion 50a of the storage basket 50) is tilted downward, when the shelf 61 is inserted all the way into the storage basket 50 along the left and right support rails 59, the shelf 61 is even less likely to come into contact with the rear support portion 60, making it easier to insert all the way into the storage basket 50.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5 , the shelf 61 allows items to be frozen to be arranged vertically in multiple tiers within the storage basket 50, and can be accessed through the entrance / exit 50a at the front of the storage basket 50. The shelf 61 includes a substantially rectangular shelf frame 61a, multiple loading bars 61b that extend in the front-to-rear direction inside the shelf frame 61a and support the items to be frozen, and guides 61c provided on both sides in the width direction above the shelf frame 61a. The outer diameter of the shelf frame 61a in the width direction is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the front frame 51, and the shelf 61 can be accessed from the entrance / exit 50a into the storage basket 50. The widthwise ends of the shelf frame 61a of the shelf 61 are supported between lower and upper rails 59a, 59b that constitute the support rails 59 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction. The guides 61c extend along the depth direction of the storage basket 50, slightly inside the widthwise ends on both sides of the shelf frame portion 61a, and have the function of preventing the shelf portion 61 from tilting left and right as it moves between the lower and upper rails 59a, 59b by engaging with the inner portion of the upper rail 59b of the storage basket 50 when the shelf portion 61 is slid back and forth between the lower and upper rails 59a, 59b. The guides 61c allow the shelf portion 61 to slide back and forth between the lower and upper rails 59a, 59b without shifting left and right, so it does not get caught on the outer support posts 58 of the support rails 59.

[0030] 5, 6, and 9, frame-shaped arms 62 are provided on both the left and right sides of storage basket 50, and arms 62 are provided on both the left and right sides opposite hooks 22 provided on both the left and right sides of opening 20a of freezing chamber 20. A rotation support portion 62a extending forward and backward is provided on the upper portion of arm 62 (below the upper end), and rotation support portion 62a is supported rotatably about a horizontal axis by support bar 57 provided on the upper portion of left frame portion 53 (right frame portion 54) of storage basket 50. A locking portion 62b is provided below rotation support portion 62a at the lower portion (bottom of the frame shape) of frame-shaped arm 62, and an operating handle portion 62c is provided above rotation support portion 62a at the upper portion (top of the frame shape).

[0031] The locking portion 62b at the bottom of the arm 62 is engaged with the hook 22 on the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 and is used to support the storage basket 50 above the antifreeze at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. The arm 62 is rotatably supported on the support bar 57 by the pivoting support portion 62a, and the locking portion 62b can tilt (rotate) between a close position (shown in FIG. 9) where it approaches both left and right sides of the storage basket 50 and a remote position (shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) where it is away from both left and right sides of the storage basket 50. The rear side of the locking portion 62b is inclined obliquely upward, and when the locking portion 62b is engaged with the hook 22 provided on the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the storage basket 50 is supported at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 with its rear side tilted downward.

[0032] When storage basket 50 is lifted above opening 20a of freezing tank 20 and locking portion 62b is in the approach position, it is horizontally spaced apart from hook 22 and is not locked by hook 22. When storage basket 50 is lifted above opening 20a of freezing tank 20 and locking portion 62b is in the separated position, it is horizontally aligned with hook 22 and is in a position where it can be locked by hook 22. In this state, when storage basket 50 is lowered from above opening 20a of freezing tank 20, locking portion 62b is locked by hook 22 and storage basket 50 is supported above the antifreeze at opening 20a of freezing tank 20, as shown in FIG. 10 .

[0033] The operating handle 62c on the upper part of the arm 62 can be grasped and used to raise and lower (lift and lower) the storage basket 50, and can also be grasped and used to rotate the locking part 62b between the close position and the remote position. The operating handle 62c extends above the storage basket 50 and has a generally upside-down L-shape when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, extending inward in the width direction above the storage basket 50. A handle 63 is provided on the operating handle 62c outside the inner end of the storage basket 50 in the width direction, and the handle 63 can be grasped when rotating the arm 62 or when raising and lowering the storage basket 50 up and down.

[0034] Because the operating handle 62c extends inward in the width direction of the storage basket 50, the center of gravity of the arm 62 is set widthwise more inward than the left and right sides of the storage basket 50. For this reason, when no external force is applied to the arm 62, the operating handle 62c tilts inward in the width direction of the storage basket 50 due to its own weight, and the locking portion 62b tilts so as to move away from the left and right sides of the storage basket 50. The operating handle 62c that has tilted inward in the width direction of the storage basket 50 comes into contact with the upper end of the left frame portion 53 (right frame portion 54), stopping its tilting, and the locking portion 62b stops at a position spaced apart from the left and right sides of the storage basket 50. When an external force is applied to rotate the operating handle portion 62c outward in the width direction of the storage basket 50, the locking portion 62b rotates to approach the left and right sides of the storage basket 50, and when the arm 62 stands up on the left and right sides of the storage basket 50, the locking portion 62b abuts against the left and right sides of the storage basket 50 and stops in the approaching position.

[0035] As shown in Figures 5 to 7 and 9, a lifting handle 64 is provided on the top of the storage basket 50, and is used by grasping the lifting handle 64 to lift and lower the storage basket 50. The lifting handle 64 is located more inward in the width direction of the storage basket 50 than the operating handle 62c of the arm 62, which tilts the arm 62 inward in the width direction of the storage basket 50, so that the operating handle 62c of the tilted arm 62 does not get in the way when grasping the lifting handle 64. The lifting handle 64 has a horizontal handle 64a extending in the front-to-rear direction and legs 64b, 64c extending downward from both the front and rear ends of the horizontal handle 64a, forming a generally U-shaped structure that opens downward. The front leg 64b extends vertically downward, while the rear leg 64c extends diagonally rearward. Because the rear leg 64c of the lifting handle 64 extends diagonally rearward, the horizontal handle 64a is positioned closer to the front of the storage basket 50, making it easier to grasp the horizontal handle 64a forward of the center, which is the position of the center of gravity in the front-to-back direction of the storage basket 50. When the horizontal handle 64a is grasped forward of the center, which is the position of the center of gravity in the front-to-back direction of the storage basket 50, the storage basket 50 tilts so that the rearmost part, opposite the entrance / exit 50a on the front, is downward, making it less likely that the frozen items or shelf 61 will fall through the entrance / exit 50a on the front of the storage basket 50.

[0036] The storage basket 50 is provided with tilt prevention portions 65 at the bottom of both left and right sides to prevent the storage basket 50 from tilting left and right. The tilt prevention portions 65 are formed by bending metal wire and protrude outward from the lower rear ends of both left and right sides of the storage basket 50. When the storage basket 50 is supported by the hooks 22 at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the tilt prevention portions 65 are positioned close to the left and right sides of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 and can be engaged with the left and right sides of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. When the storage basket 50 begins to tilt left or right, the tilt prevention portions 65 engage with the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, making it less likely that the storage basket 50 will tilt left or right. Furthermore, when the storage basket 50 is supported by the hooks 22 at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the tilt prevention parts 65 are arranged in a position that does not face the hooks 22, so that the tilt prevention parts 65 are unlikely to get caught on the hooks 22.

[0037] 11, the liquid freezing device 10 is equipped with a control device 70, which is connected to the temperature sensor 24, the refrigeration device 30, the stirring motor 42, and an operation panel 71 provided on the rear top surface of the housing 11. The control device 70 has a microcomputer (not shown), which is equipped with a CPU, nonvolatile memory (nonvolatile storage unit) such as RAM, ROM, and EEPROM, and a timer (all not shown), which are connected via a bus.

[0038] The ROM stores a freezing operation mode in which the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 is cooled to a freezing temperature suitable for freezing the object to be frozen (set to -35°C as an example in this embodiment, but not limited to this). When the freezing operation mode is executed, control device 70 controls the operation of refrigeration device 30 based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 24 while stirring motor 42 is in operation. By controlling the operation of refrigeration device 30 based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 24, the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 is controlled to reach the freezing temperature, and the cooled antifreeze is circulated between immersion region 20d and cooling region 20e by stirring blades 44 rotated by stirring motor 42.

[0039] When an object to be frozen is immersed in antifreeze solution in immersion area 20d of freezing tank 20 and frozen, shelf 61 carrying the object to be frozen is moved along support rails 59 to the back of storage basket 50, and the object to be frozen is stored in storage basket 50. When no external force is applied to arm 62, operating handle 62c at the upper part of arm 62 tilts diagonally downward within the width direction of storage basket 50 due to its own weight, and locking portions 62b at the lower part of arm 62 tilt away from the left and right sides of storage basket 50 and are positioned in a separated position. When locking portions 62b of arm 62 are in the separated position, locking portions 62b get caught in opening 20a of freezing tank 20, preventing storage basket 50 from being placed in freezing tank 20.

[0040] To place storage basket 50 into freezing tank 20, grip handle 63 of operating handle 62c of arm 62 and apply force that spreads handle 63 of operating handle 62c outward in the width direction of storage basket 50 so that locking portions 62b of arm 62 are in an approaching position close to the left and right sides of storage basket 50, thereby raising arm 62 vertically on the left and right sides of storage basket 50. This prevents locking portions 62b at the bottom of arm 62 from getting caught in opening 20a of freezing tank 20, allowing storage basket 50 to be placed into freezing tank 20. With arm 62 raised vertically on the left and right sides of storage basket 50, lower storage basket 50 into freezing tank 20, and the items to be frozen in storage basket 50 are immersed in antifreeze. Because the storage basket 50 containing the items to be frozen has no antifreeze liquid on it before it is placed in the freezing tank 20, it is lighter than when the storage basket 50 is lifted from the freezing tank 20, and it is easier to apply force to the handle portion 63 of the operating handle portion 62c to spread it outward in the width direction of the storage basket 50. The items to be frozen in the storage basket 50 placed in the freezing tank 20 are cooled and frozen by the cooled antifreeze liquid. Note that the locking portions 62b of the arms 62 on the left and right sides of the storage basket 50 placed in the freezing tank 20 are restricted from tilting outward by the left and right inner circumferential surfaces of the freezing tank 20.

[0041] After the time required to freeze the objects has elapsed, when the lifting handle 64 is grasped and the storage basket 50 is lifted from within the freezing tank 20 to above the opening 20a, the locking portions 62b at the bottom of the arms 62 are no longer restricted by the left and right inner circumferential surfaces of the freezing tank 20 and tilt to spread outward from the sides of the storage basket 50, and the locking portions 62b at the bottom of the arms 62 tilt to a separated position where they can be engaged with the hooks 22 of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. When the storage basket 50 is lowered while the lifting handle 64 is grasped, the locking portions 62b at the bottom of the arms 62 engage with the hooks 22 of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the storage basket 50 is supported above the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. The antifreeze liquid adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage basket 50 flows down from the opening 20a into the freezing tank 20, which allows the antifreeze liquid adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage basket 50 to be easily drained. After the antifreeze liquid adhering to the objects to be frozen and the storage basket 50 has been drained, the frozen objects in the storage basket 50 are moved to a freezer for storage.

[0042] The liquid freezing device 10 configured as described above comprises a freezing tank 20 having an opening 20a on its top surface for freezing objects with antifreeze liquid stored inside, and a storage basket 50 for storing objects to be frozen and immersing them in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank. In this liquid freezing device 10, hooks 22 are provided on the left and right sides (horizontally opposing sides) of the opening 20a on the top surface of the freezing tank 20 to support the storage basket 50 above the antifreeze liquid level, and arms 62 are provided on the upper left and right sides (horizontally opposing sides) of the storage basket 50 opposite the hooks 22, and are supported by pivotal support parts 62a to be rotatable (tiltable) about a horizontal axis.

[0043] The arm 62 has a locking portion 62b below the rotation support portion 62a that can lock onto the hook 22 when tilted (rotated) from a close position approaching each of the left and right sides of the storage basket 50 to a distant position away from it, and also has an operating handle 62c above the rotation support portion 62a that extends above the storage basket 50 and can be grasped to raise and lower the storage basket 50, and can be used to tilt (rotate) the locking portion 62b between the close position and the distant position. The operating handle 62c extends inward in the width direction above the storage basket 50 so that the locking portion 62b is positioned in the distant position when no external force is being applied to the arm 62. When the storage basket 50 is lifted above the opening 20a on the top surface of the freezing tank 20, the locking portion 62b of the arm 62 tilts to a position away from the side of the storage basket 50 without applying force to the operating handle 62c to rotate the locking portion 62b of the arm 62 to a position away from the side of the storage basket 50, making it easier to lock the locking portion 62b of the arm 62 to the hook 22 provided on the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20.

[0044] The operating handle 62c is provided with a handle 63 used for holding the storage basket 50 at a position outside the inner end of the storage basket 50 in the width direction. Because the handle 63 is located outside the width direction end of the operating handle 62c, when the storage basket 50 is held by each of the left and right hands when immersing the storage basket 50 in the freezing bath 20, the left and right hands are farther apart from each other than when the left and right hands hold the inner end of the operating handle 62c in the width direction of the storage basket 50, making the storage basket 50 less likely to wobble in the width direction when lifted, and more stable. Furthermore, because the handle 63 is closer to the rotation support member 62a than the inner end of the operating handle 62c in the width direction of the storage basket 50, the movement distance of the handle 63 when tilting the locking member 62b from the separated position to the approached position is shorter, improving operability.

[0045] A lifting handle 64 used to raise and lower the storage basket 50 is provided on the upper portion of the storage basket 50, on the inner side of the operation handle 62c in the width direction of the storage basket 50. This lifting handle 64 is used particularly when lifting the storage basket 50 from inside the freezing chamber 20, which does not require the application of an external force to tilt the arm 62. When the lifting handle 64 is grasped to lift the storage basket 50 immersed in the antifreeze solution in the freezing chamber 20, the operation handle 62c of the arm 62 tilts by its own weight toward the inner side in the width direction of the storage basket 50 without the application of an external force to the arm 62, causing the locking portion 62b of the arm 62 to tilt from the close position to the far position, making it easier to lock the locking portion 62b of the arm 62 with the hook 22 provided at the opening 20a of the freezing chamber 20.

[0046] Tilt prevention parts 65 are provided at the bottom of both left and right sides of storage basket 50 facing hooks 22. These parts are capable of engaging with both sides of opening 20a of freezing chamber 20 where hooks 22 are provided, and prevent storage basket 50 from tilting toward the side of opening 20a of freezing chamber 20 where hooks 22 are provided. Tilt prevention parts 65 make storage basket 50 less likely to tilt toward one of the sides of opening 20a of freezing chamber 20 where hooks 22 are provided. Furthermore, when storage basket 50 is supported by hooks 22 of opening 20a of freezing chamber 20, tilt prevention parts 65 are positioned so as not to face hooks 22, so tilt prevention parts 65 will not get caught on hooks 22.

[0047] The storage basket 50 is equipped with an entrance / exit section 50a at the front (one horizontal side surface) which is an opening through which items to be frozen can be taken in and out, shelf sections 61 which can enter and exit the interior through the entrance / exit section 50a and which allow items to be frozen to be arranged in multiple tiers up and down inside the storage basket 50, support rails 59 which support the widthwise ends of the shelf section 61 on both sides of the widthwise direction of the entrance / exit section 50a inside the storage basket 50, and a rear support section 60 at the rear surface (the other horizontal side surface) which can support the rear side of the shelf section 61. Even if a large amount of items to be frozen are placed on the shelf section 61, the rear center section in the widthwise direction of the shelf section 61 is supported by the rear support section 60, making it less likely to bend downward. In addition, since the entrance / exit section 50a side of the rear support section 60 is inclined downward, when the shelf section 61 is supported by the rear support section 60 on the rear surface (other side surface) opposite the entrance / exit section 50a of the storage basket 50, the shelf section 61 can be easily positioned above the rear support section 60.

[0048] In this embodiment, hooks 22 are provided on the left and right sides of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 as both horizontally opposing sides for supporting the storage basket 50 above the antifreeze liquid level, but this is not limited to this.Hooks 22 may be provided on the front and rear sides of the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 as both horizontally opposing sides for supporting the storage basket 50 above the antifreeze liquid level, and arms 62 may be supported on the front and rear sides of the storage basket 50 so that they can rotate around a horizontal axis in the left-right direction.

[0049] In this embodiment, the storage basket 50 has an entrance / exit section 50a on the front side as one of its horizontal sides, which is an opening through which frozen items can be put in and taken out, but this is not limited to this, and the storage basket 50 may have an entrance / exit section on the left or right side or rear side as one of its horizontal sides, which is an opening through which frozen items can be put in and taken out, and a rear support section 60 may be provided on the side opposite the entrance / exit section 50a as the other horizontal side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10...liquid freezing device, 11...housing, 20...freezing tank, 20a...opening, 22...hook, 50...storage basket, 50a...entrance / exit section, 59...support rail, 60...rear support section, 61...shelf section, 62...arm, 62a...rotation support section, 62b...locking section, 62c...operation handle section, 63...handle section, 64...lifting handle section, 65...anti-tip section.

Claims

1. a freezing tank having an opening on its top surface and configured to freeze an object to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored therein; a storage basket for storing the object to be frozen and immersing it in the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank, hooks are provided on both sides of the opening in the top surface of the freezing tank that face each other in the horizontal direction to support the storage basket above the antifreeze liquid level; the arms are supported by pivotal support parts at the top of both side portions of the storage basket opposite the hooks so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, and have locking parts below the pivotal support parts that can be engaged with the hooks when tilted from a close position approaching the side portions of the storage basket to a distant position away from the side portions, and have operating handle parts that extend above the pivotal support parts and above the storage basket, can be grasped and used to raise and lower the storage basket, and can be used to tilt the locking parts between the close position and the distant position, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the operating handle portion extends inward in the width direction above the storage basket so that the locking portion is positioned in the separated position when no external force is being applied to the arm.

2. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the operating handle portion is provided with a handle portion used for gripping the storage basket at a position outside the inner end in the width direction of the storage basket.

3. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1 or 2, A liquid freezing device characterized in that a lifting handle used to lift and lower the storage basket is provided at the top of the storage basket, inside the widthwise end of the storage basket on the operating handle.

4. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1 or 2, A liquid freezing device characterized in that a tilt prevention part is provided at the lower part of both sides of the storage basket facing the hook, which can be engaged with the side of the opening of the freezing tank where the hook of the freezing tank is provided, and which prevents the storage basket from tilting toward the side of the opening where the hook is provided, and the tilt prevention part is positioned so as not to face the hook.

5. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1 or 2, The storage basket is characterized in that it is equipped with an entrance / exit section on one horizontal side which is an opening through which the frozen items can be put in and out, a shelf section which can be brought in and out from the entrance / exit section and which allows the frozen items to be arranged in multiple tiers up and down within the storage basket, support rails which support the widthwise ends of the shelf section on both widthwise sides of the entrance / exit section within the storage basket, and a rear support section on the other horizontal side which can support the rear side of the shelf section.

6. The liquid freezing device according to claim 5, The liquid freezing device is characterized in that the inlet / outlet side of the rear support part is inclined downward.

Images