Temperature control library

Abstract

To enable a user to confirm operation state information showing an operation state when adjusting the temperature inside a storage cabinet, even when a detection result that a door is in an open state is notified to the user by an operation panel. [Solution] The temperature-controlled cabinet 10 is equipped with an operation panel 50 having a display unit 51 and an operation unit 52, and the display unit 51 can display operating status information indicating the operating status when controlling the temperature inside the cabinet 20, including at least one of temperature information indicating the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 and operation information indicating information related to the operation of the temperature regulator, and can also display door open status information when the door 13 is in an open state as detected by the door open detector 15. When the door open detector 15 detects that the door 13 is in an open state, the display unit 51 displays the door open status information on the display screen, and it is possible to switch from the display screen showing the door open status information to a display screen showing the operating status information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature-controlled storage cabinet in which the temperature inside the storage cabinet for storing items can be controlled by a temperature regulator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention for a food refrigerating / heating cabinet that stores dishes containing cooked food and heats the food in the dishes to a temperature suitable for eating. This food refrigerating / heating cabinet includes a storage cabinet capable of storing cooked food, a door at the front of the storage cabinet that opens and closes an opening for loading and unloading the food, a cooling means for cooling the interior of the storage cabinet, a heater for heating the interior of the storage cabinet, and a fan for circulating air within the storage cabinet. This food refrigerating / heating cabinet is controlled to perform a reheating operation to reheat the interior of the storage cabinet after a cooling operation to cool the interior of the storage cabinet. During the cooling operation, air cooled by the cooling means within the storage cabinet is circulated as cold air by the fan, and during the reheating operation, air heated by the heater within the storage cabinet is circulated as hot air by the fan.

[0003] An operation panel is provided on the upper front of this food refrigerating / heating cabinet, and the operation panel uses a so-called touch panel display that combines operation functions and display functions. The operation panel display shows basic information such as operation messages indicating the operating status of the food refrigerating / heating cabinet, graphs showing the internal temperature and core temperature during operation, the elapsed time during operation, the selected operating mode, the start time of the reheating operation, the current internal temperature and core temperature, and the set operating conditions of the food refrigerating / heating cabinet. The display also serves as pseudo operation keys for changing the setting conditions such as the operating mode, start time, and set operating conditions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-176270 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The storage compartment (storage compartment) of the food refrigerating and heating cabinet (temperature-controlled cabinet) of Patent Document 1 is provided with a door that can be opened and closed to cover the front opening, and food to be cooked in dishes is carried in and out of the storage compartment through the opening by opening the door. If the storage compartment door is left wide open (open state), the temperature-controlled air inside the storage compartment is released to the outside through the opening, and the temperature inside the storage compartment is not properly regulated. Some devices of this type are provided with a door open detector that detects whether the door that covers the front opening of the storage compartment is open, and the door open state can be detected by the door open detector. In the food refrigerating and heating cabinet of Patent Document 1, if the detection result that the door is open is displayed on the display of the operation panel, the user can be prompted to close the door.

[0006] However, when the operation panel display is configured to display a detection result that the door is open, it may be impossible to display operating status information indicating the operating status when adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet, such as the storage cabinet's set temperature and internal temperature, and it may be impossible to confirm whether the temperature inside the storage cabinet is being adjusted appropriately. In particular, when performing maintenance such as inspections of the storage cabinet, maintenance work inside the storage cabinet may be performed through the opening with the door in the open state. If the operation panel display shows a detection result that the door is open and it is not possible to display operating status information when adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet, it may be impossible to perform maintenance work inside the storage cabinet while checking operating status information when adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet. An object of the present invention is to enable the user to check operating status information indicating the operating status when adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet, even when the operation panel is configured to notify the user of a detection result that the door is open. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a storage cabinet for storing stored items, a temperature regulator for adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the storage cabinet, an opening for carrying stored items into and out of the storage cabinet, a door that can be opened and closed to cover the opening, a door open detector for detecting when the door is open, an operation panel having a display unit that can display information and an operation unit that can output operation signals, and a control device having a temperature adjustment program that controls the operation of the temperature regulator based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to adjust the temperature inside the storage cabinet, and when the temperature adjustment program is being executed to adjust the temperature inside the storage cabinet, the display unit displays the temperature and a temperature-controlled cabinet capable of displaying operating status information indicating the operating status when adjusting the temperature inside the cabinet, including at least one of temperature information indicating the temperature detected by a sensor and operation information indicating information related to the operation of a temperature regulator, and capable of displaying door open status information when the door is in an open state detected by a door open detector.When the temperature adjustment program is being executed and the door is detected to be in an open state by the door open detector, the display unit displays door open status information on the display screen, and the display screen showing the door open status information can be switched to a display screen showing operating status information.

[0008] In the storage cabinet configured as described above, when the temperature adjustment program is running and the door open detector detects that the door is open, the display unit displays door open state information on the display screen, and the display screen can be switched from the door open state information displaying the door open state information to a display screen that displays operating state information. Even when the door open detector causes the display unit to display door open state information indicating that the door is open to notify the user that the door is open, the display unit of the operation panel can be switched to a display screen that displays operating state information, so that even when the door is open, the display unit can display a display screen that displays operating state information, and the operating state information can be checked on the display unit.

[0009] In a storage cabinet configured as described above, it is preferable to control the display screen displaying the door open state information so that it is displayed again if the operating unit is not operated for a preset waiting time after switching from the display screen displaying the door open state information to the display screen displaying the operating state information. Even if the user forgets to close the door after switching from the display screen displaying the door open state information to the display screen displaying the operating state information and performing maintenance work inside the storage cabinet through the opening, for example, the display screen displaying the door open state information is displayed again if the operating unit of the operation panel is not operated for a preset waiting time, so the user can know that the door was forgotten to be closed by the display screen displaying the door open state information that is displayed again after the display screen displaying the operating state information is displayed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of a reheater according to an embodiment of the temperature-adjusted cabinet of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction at the center of the front-rear direction of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the opening of the storage cabinet with the door open. [Figure 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line B-B. [Figure 6] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 with the partition plate removed. [Figure 8] 10 is a display screen of the display unit showing the set temperature and temperature adjustment time of the reheating program. [Figure 9] 9 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display unit when the set time of FIG. 8 is changed. [Figure 10] 9 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display unit when the set temperature of FIG. 8 is changed. [Figure 11] 10 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display unit when a cooling operation of the reheating program is being executed. [Figure 12]10 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display unit when a heating operation of the reheating program is being executed. [Figure 13] 10 shows the display screen of the display unit when it is detected that the door is in an open state. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. [Figure 15] This is the display screen of the display unit showing that the "home" switch was operated while door open status information was being displayed, and the cooling operation of the reheating program was being executed again. [Figure 16] This is the display screen of the display unit showing that the "home" switch was operated while door open status information was being displayed and the heating operation of the reheating program was being executed again. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of a reheater as one embodiment of a temperature-adjusting cabinet of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The reheater 10 of the present invention is called a reheat warmer, and stores dishes (stored items) containing cooked food (meals) in a storage cabinet 20, enabling the food in the dishes in the storage cabinet 20 to be heated (temperature-adjusted) to a temperature suitable for the meal at the time of serving. The reheater 10 adjusts the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20 using a temperature adjuster, i.e., a refrigeration device 40 or a heater 31. The inside of the storage cabinet 20 is cooled (temperature-adjusted) by a cooling process using the refrigeration device 40, and heated (temperature-adjusted) by a heating process using the heater 31. When using this reheater 10 to serve, for example, a hot breakfast, food placed in dishes between the evening and night of the previous day is stored in the storage cabinet 20, and a reheating program (temperature-adjusting program) is executed. By executing the reheating program, the food in the storage cabinet 20 is refrigerated by the cooling process of the freezer 40, and then reheated to a temperature suitable for eating by the heating process of the heater 31, and the reheated food is kept warm until breakfast time. By using the reheater 10, it is possible to provide food that has been prepared in advance at a temperature suitable for eating at mealtime.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the reheater 10 has a machine chamber 12 on the left side of the housing 11, and a storage compartment 20 for storing tableware containing cooked food in the area excluding the machine chamber 12 on the left side. As shown in Figure 3, the storage compartment 20 stores trays carrying tableware containing cooked food in multiple levels, one above the other, and an opening 20a is formed in the front of the storage compartment 20 for carrying in and out the trays carrying the food. A heat insulating material is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the storage compartment 20 excluding the opening 20a, and the inside of the storage compartment 20 is insulated from the outside by the heat insulating material.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, a door 13 that opens and closes an opening 20a is supported rotatably about a vertical axis on the right side of the front of the storage cabinet 20, and the opening 20a on the front of the storage cabinet 20 is covered by the door 13 in an openable and closable manner. Similar to the storage cabinet 20, a heat insulating material is provided inside the door 13, and the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 is insulated from the outside by the heat insulating material of the door 13. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, a packing 14 is provided on the peripheral edge of the rear surface (back surface) of the door 13, and the packing 14 abuts against the peripheral edge of the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 when the door 13 is closed. The opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 is airtightly sealed and blocked by the packing 14 when the door 13 is closed.

[0014] As shown in Figure 4, a door open detector 15 is provided on the front of storage cabinet 20 at the upper left diagonal position of opening 20a to detect whether door 13 is open (opened or closed). Door open detector 15 uses a reed switch, and a magnet 16 serving as a detectable member is provided at the upper left diagonal position of the rear surface of door 13, facing door open detector 15. When opening 20a of storage cabinet 20 is blocked by door 13, magnet 16 approaches door open detector 15, and door open detector 15 outputs an ON signal, thereby detecting that door 13 is closed. When door 13 is opened, magnet 16 moves away from door open detector 15, and door open detector 15 no longer outputs an ON signal, detecting that door 13 is open (not closed).

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, a partition plate 21 is provided on the left side of the storage cabinet 20. Inside the storage cabinet 20, the left side of the partition plate 21 is a temperature-adjusted chamber 22 for adjusting the temperature, and the right side of the partition plate 21 is a storage chamber 23 for storing tableware containing food to be cooked. As shown in FIG. 5, a vent 21a is formed in the partition plate 21, and air inside the storage chamber 23 flows into the temperature-adjusted chamber 22 through the vent 21a. As shown in FIG. 3, a duct partition plate 24 is provided on the rear and right sides of the storage chamber 23. A duct space 25 is formed on the rear and right sides of the storage chamber 23 for discharging air (hot air or cold air) whose temperature has been adjusted in the temperature-adjusted chamber 22 from the rear and right sides of the storage chamber 23. The duct space 25 includes a rear duct space 25a located on the rear side of the storage chamber 23 and a side duct space 25b located on the right side of the storage chamber 23. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an air outlet 24a is formed in the duct partition plate 24, and a portion of the hot or cold air generated in the temperature adjustment room 22 passes through the rear duct space 25a and is sent out from the air outlet 24a to the rear of the storage room 23, and the remaining portion of the hot or cold air generated in the temperature adjustment room 22 passes from the rear duct space 25a through the side duct space 25b and is sent out from the air outlet 24a to the right side of the storage room 23 (the flow of the hot or cold air is shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 3).

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, side duct space 25b is provided with guide member 26 that guides hot or cold air toward opening 20a of storage room 23. Guide member 26 is a plate member that is inclined so that the front side is closer to the center of storage 20 than the rear side, and divides side duct space 25b so that the front side is narrower than the rear side. The hot or cold air passing through side duct space 25b is sent out by guide member 26 from air outlet 24a toward opening 20a (the flow of hot or cold air is indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 3).

[0017] 2 to 5, support rails 27 for supporting trays (not shown) carrying tableware are provided in multiple stages on both the left and right sides of storage chamber 23. Support rails 27 are capable of supporting the left and right side edges of the lower surface of a flat tray, and extend forward and backward with a width sufficient to support the left and right side edges of the lower surface of the tray. The left support rail 27 is attached to partition plate 21, and the right support rail 27 is attached to duct partition plate 24.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 6, and 7, a fan 30, a heater 31, and an evaporator 44 of a refrigeration unit 40 are disposed in the temperature-controlled compartment 22 of the storage cabinet 20, and temperature-controlled hot or cold air is generated in the temperature-controlled compartment 22 by operating the fan 30 and the heater 31 or the fan 30 and the refrigeration unit 40. As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6, a fan 30 is disposed on the left wall (one side wall) of the temperature-controlled compartment 22 to circulate and circulate air within the storage cabinet 20, and the fan 30 is disposed so that the extension direction of its rotation axis is in the left-right direction (horizontal). A centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan is used as the fan 30, and air within the storage compartment 23 is drawn into the temperature-controlled compartment 22 through the vent 21a by operation of the fan 30 and then blown outward in the centrifugal direction within the temperature-controlled compartment 22 (the blowing direction by the fan 30 is indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in Figure 7).

[0019] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6, a heater 31 that heats the air inside the storage cabinet 20 is provided outside the fan 30 on the left side wall (one side wall) of the storage cabinet 20 in the temperature-controlled compartment 22. The heater 31 is disposed inside the temperature-controlled compartment 22 of the storage cabinet 20, and the heater 31 controls the temperature inside the temperature-controlled compartment 22 to increase. The heater 31 is formed in a spiral shape on the outside of the fan 30, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 30 is blown onto the heater 31, where it is heated and becomes warm air. The heater 31 has a substantially rectangular shape and is wound spirally twice, and the extension direction of the winding axis of the spirally wound heater 31 is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the fan 30. As shown in Figure 6, a temperature sensor 32 is provided on the left side wall of the storage cabinet 20, and the temperature sensor 32 detects the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20.

[0020] When the fan 30 is operated with the heater 31 energized, the air blown by the fan 30 is blown outward in the centrifugal direction within the temperature-controlled compartment 22 and heated by the heater 31 to become warm air (the direction of the air blown by the fan 30 is shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 7). The generated warm air passes through the duct space 25 and is sent out from the air outlet 24a to the storage compartment 23, and the air within the storage compartment 23 is returned to the temperature-controlled compartment 22 through the vent 21a. In this way, the air within the temperature-controlled compartment 22 is heated by the heater 31 and sent out into the storage compartment 23, and the air within the storage compartment 23 is returned again to the temperature-controlled compartment 22, and the air within the storage cabinet 20 becomes warm air while being heated by the heater 31 and circulates (the flow of the warm air is shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 3).

[0021] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 7, an evaporator 44 of a refrigeration unit 40 is disposed in the temperature control compartment 22, and the evaporator 44 is disposed on the left side of the partition plate 21 (opposite the storage compartment 23). As shown in Figure 3, the refrigeration unit 40 uses a well-known refrigeration circuit and includes a compressor 41 that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser 42 that cools the compressed refrigerant gas, a capillary tube 43 that expands the liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator 44 that vaporizes the expanded liquefied refrigerant to cool the inside of the storage compartment 20. In the refrigeration unit 40, the compressor 41, the condenser 42, the capillary tube 43, and the evaporator 44 are connected by refrigerant piping to form a refrigeration circuit. In the refrigeration unit 40, the evaporator 44 is disposed on the left side of the partition plate 21 of the temperature control compartment 22, and the other components are disposed in the machine compartment 12.

[0022] When the refrigeration device 40 and the fan 30 are operated, the air in the storage room 23 passes around the evaporator 44 and is cooled as it flows into the temperature-controlled room 22 through the vent 21a, and the air cooled by the evaporator 44 in the temperature-controlled room 22 is turned into cool air by the fan 30 and sent out again to the storage room 23. In this way, the air in the temperature-controlled room 22 is cooled by the evaporator 44 of the refrigeration device 40 and sent out into the storage room 23, and the air in the storage room 23 is returned again to the temperature-controlled room 22, and the air in the storage room 20 is cooled by the evaporator 44 of the refrigeration device 40 and turns into cool air that circulates and convects (the flow of cool air is indicated by the dashed arrows in Figure 3).

[0023] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, a drainage tank 45 is provided below the evaporator 44 at the bottom of the temperature-controlled room 22 of the storage shed 20, for collecting water that drops from the evaporator 44. A gutter member 46 is provided above the drainage tank 45 and below the evaporator 44, and the gutter member 46 receives the water that drops from the evaporator 44. The gutter member 46 is inclined so that the front side is lower, and the water received by the gutter member 46 flows to the lower front side. A drainage pipe 47 is provided in front of the gutter member 46, and the lower end of the drainage pipe 47 is located above the inlet at the front of the drainage tank 45.

[0024] 3 and 6, an evaporation container (steam generating means) 48 that generates steam using heat from the heater 31 is provided at the bottom of the temperature-controlled chamber 22 of the storage cabinet 20. The evaporation container 48 humidifies the inside of the storage cabinet 20 by generating steam from water stored therein using heat from the heater 31. The evaporation container 48 is installed so that it can be removed to the destination of the warm air generated when air blown by the fan 30 is heated by the heater 31, and further, it is installed at the front bottom of the temperature-controlled chamber 22 so that it can be easily installed in the temperature-controlled chamber 22 from the opening 20a of the storage cabinet 20 through the storage chamber 23. A plurality (a large number) of discharge ports 48a made of punched holes are formed in the top surface of the evaporation container 48, and steam generated from the water in the evaporation container 48 is discharged into the storage cabinet 20 from the plurality of discharge ports 48a.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8 to 10, an operation panel 50 is provided on the upper left front surface of the housing 11. The operation panel 50 has a display function for displaying various information such as the temperature conditions when the reheating program is executed, operating conditions such as operating time, and the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20, and an operation function for inputting the operating conditions of the reheating program. The operation panel 50 has a display unit 51 for displaying various information such as the operating conditions of the reheating program and the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20, and an operation unit 52 for operating the screen of the display unit 51 and inputting control contents for adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20. This operation panel 50 uses a touch panel type liquid crystal panel, and the operation unit 52 is displayed on the display unit 51 using the liquid crystal panel. The operation panel 50 also has a speaker for outputting buzzer sounds and the like, and various warning sounds can be output from the speaker using buzzer sounds and the like.

[0026] FIG. 8 shows the display screen displayed on display unit 51 when a reheating program (temperature adjustment program) is executed, and the display screen of display unit 51 displays operating information such as the time required for temperature adjustment of the reheating program to be executed (heating time, etc.), the temperature adjustment temperature (heating temperature, keep warm temperature, cooling temperature (displayed as chilled temperature)), and the time when the temperature adjustment is completed. FIG. 9 shows the display screen of display unit 51 when setting the heating time of the heating process of the reheating program, and display unit 51 displays operation unit 52 with a numeric keypad for inputting the heating time, and the heating time can be input by operating operation unit 52 with the numeric keypad. FIG. 10 shows the display screen of display unit 51 when setting the heating temperature of the heating process of the reheating program, and display unit 51 displays operation unit 52 with a numeric keypad for inputting the heating temperature, and the heating temperature can be input by operating operation unit 52 with the numeric keypad. In addition to this, the time required for temperature adjustment, the temperature for temperature adjustment, and the time when the temperature adjustment is completed can be input by operating operation unit 52 with the numeric keypad.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 8, display unit 51 displays operation unit 52 consisting of a switch labeled "Start" or "Pre-cooling." When the switch labeled "Start" or "Pre-cooling" is operated, the reheating program is executed. FIG. 11 shows a display screen that is displayed on display unit 51 while the cooling process of the reheating program is being executed. When the cooling process is being executed, display unit 51 displays "Chilling," as well as the temperature inside storage cabinet 20 detected by temperature sensor 32 and the time when the reheating program will be completed. In this way, display unit 51 displays operation information ("Chilling" display in FIG. 11) indicating that the operation of refrigeration device 40, which is a temperature regulator, is being controlled, and operating status information indicating the operating status when regulating the temperature inside storage cabinet 20, including temperature information indicating the temperature inside storage cabinet 20 detected by temperature sensor 32.

[0028] 12 is a display screen displayed on display unit 51 when the heating process of the reheating program is being executed, and when the heating process is being executed, display unit 51 displays "Heating", as well as the temperature inside storage cabinet 20 detected by temperature sensor 32 and the time when the reheating program will be completed, etc. In this way, display unit 51 displays operation information ("Heating" display in FIG. 12) indicating that the operation of heater 31, which is a temperature regulator, is being controlled, and operating status information indicating the operating status when adjusting the temperature inside storage cabinet 20, including temperature information indicating the temperature inside storage cabinet 20 detected by temperature sensor 32.

[0029] Furthermore, the display unit 51 can display door open state information when the door open detector 15 detects that the door 13 is open. When the door 13 is open, the door open detector 15 stops outputting an ON signal, and the door open detector 15 detects that the door 13 is open. When the door 13 is detected to be open, the display unit 51 displays door open state information (display of "Door open / close detected - is the door open?" in FIG. 13) as shown in FIG. 13. Furthermore, when the door open detector 15 stops outputting an ON signal for 60 consecutive seconds, a warning sound is output from the speaker, and the warning sound urges the user to close the door 13 because it is open.

[0030] As shown in Figure 14, the reheater 10 is equipped with a control device 60, which is connected to the door open detector 15, fan 30, heater 31, temperature sensor 32, refrigeration device 40, and operation panel 50. The control device 60 has a microcomputer (not shown), which has a CPU, RAM, ROM, and timer (all not shown), which are connected via a bus. The control device 60 has a reheating program in the ROM that refrigerates the cooked food stored in the storage cabinet 20 and then heats it to a temperature suitable for eating, so that the cooked food can be served warm at the time of serving the meal after cooking.

[0031] The reheating program controls the cooling of the storage cabinet 20 to refrigerate the cooked food after cooking (cooling process), the heating of the storage cabinet 20 to warm the refrigerated cooked food by the time the meal is served (reheating process), and the keeping of the cooked food at a temperature suitable for eating after cooking (heating process). In this embodiment, the cooling process controls the operation of the freezer 40 so that the inside of the storage cabinet 20 reaches a refrigeration setting temperature (e.g., 5°C) suitable for refrigerating the cooked food, the reheating process controls the energization of the heater 31 so that the inside of the storage cabinet 20 reaches a reheating setting temperature (e.g., 110°C) suitable for warming the cooked food to the center, and the keeping-warm process controls the energization of the heater 31 so that the inside of the storage cabinet 20 reaches a keeping-warm setting temperature (e.g., 80°C) suitable for eating the cooked food after cooking. This reheating program is set, for example, to execute a refrigeration process from the evening or night of the day before the meal, and to terminate the cooling process and execute a reheating process at a predetermined time, for example, one hour before the mealtime the following morning when the meal is served, and to execute a keep-warm process after the reheating process. Note that the reheating program of this embodiment executes the cooling process, reheating process, and keep-warm process in order, but it may also be controlled so that at least one of the refrigeration process and the keep-warm process is not executed.

[0032] When using this reheater 10 to provide, for example, a hot breakfast, a tray carrying dishes containing cooked food is carried into the storage chamber 23 of the storage cabinet 20 through the opening 20a during the evening or night of the previous day. In addition, to prevent the cooked food placed in the dishes in the storage cabinet 20 from drying out, an evaporation container 48 filled with water is placed in an installation position within the storage cabinet 20. In this state, the "Start" button on the display screen shown in Figure 8 on the display unit 51 of the operation panel 50 is operated to execute the reheating program described above.

[0033] Until the heating process of the reheating program is executed, cooked food placed in dishes in storage cabinet 20 is refrigerated by a cooling process. When the cooling process of the reheating program is executed, fan 30 is operated and the operation of freezing device 40 is controlled based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 32 so that the temperature reaches the refrigeration set temperature. When the cooling process of the reheating program is executed, air within temperature-controlled compartment 22 is blown outward in the centrifugal direction by fan 30, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction passes through duct space 25 and is sent to storage compartment 23 of storage cabinet 20, and the air within storage compartment 23 is returned to temperature-controlled compartment 22 through vent 21a. The air within storage compartment 23 is cooled by evaporator 44 when returning to temperature-controlled compartment 22, and the air cooled by evaporator 44 within temperature-controlled compartment 22 is turned into cool air by fan 30 and sent back to storage compartment 23. The inside of storage cabinet 20 is cooled to the refrigeration setting temperature by circulating and convecting cold air, and cooked food placed in dishes in storage chamber 23 is cooled by the circulating and convecting cold air. As shown in Figure 11, when the cooling process of the reheating program is being executed, display unit 51 displays operation information indicating that the operation of freezer 40 is being controlled, that is, "chilling," and operation status information indicating the operation status when adjusting the temperature inside storage cabinet 20, including temperature information indicating the temperature inside storage cabinet 20 detected by temperature sensor 32.

[0034] When the reheating process is performed after the cooling process, the fan 30 is operated and the power supply to the heater 31 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 so that the reheating temperature is reached, and hot air heated by the heater 31 circulates and convects within the storage compartment 20. The air within the temperature adjustment compartment 22 is blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 30, and the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction is heated by the heater 31 and becomes hot air. The hot air generated within the temperature adjustment compartment 22 by the fan 30 and heater 31 is blown through the duct space 25 to the storage compartment 23 of the storage compartment 20, and the air within the storage compartment 23 is returned to the temperature adjustment compartment 22 through the air vent 21a. The storage compartment 20 is heated to the reheating temperature by the circulating and convection of the hot air, and food placed in dishes within the storage compartment 23 is warmed by the circulating and convection of the hot air. As shown in Figure 12, when the heating process of the reheating program is being executed, the display unit 51 displays operation information indicating the operating state when adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20, including operation information indicating that the operation of the heater 31 is being controlled as "heating" and temperature information indicating the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20 detected by the temperature sensor 32.

[0035] Furthermore, within the temperature-controlled chamber 22, the air blown outward in the centrifugal direction by the fan 30 is heated by the heater 31 to become hot air, and the hot air blown outward in the centrifugal direction is blown onto the evaporative container 48 to heat the water in the evaporative container 48. Steam generated from the water in the evaporative container 48 is released from the outlet 48a into the temperature-controlled chamber 22 within the storage chamber 20, and the hot air circulating and convecting within the storage chamber 20 contains the steam released from the evaporative container 48 and circulates and convects between the temperature-controlled chamber 22 and the storage chamber 23. By executing the reheating process of the reheating program, the temperature within the storage chamber 20 is heated so that the food in the dish will reach the reheating set temperature, and the humidity within the storage chamber 20 is increased to an appropriate humidity level for eating, preventing the food in the dish from drying out or becoming too moist.

[0036] When the keep-warm process is performed after the reheating process, the fan 30 is operated and the power supply to the heater 31 is controlled so that the temperature reaches the keep-warm set temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32, and hot air heated by the heater 31 circulates and circulates within the storage cabinet 20. The temperature within the storage cabinet 20 remains higher than the keep-warm set temperature for a certain period of time after the reheating process, and the heater 31 is not powered until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 drops below the keep-warm set temperature. Food placed in dishes in the storage cabinet 20 is maintained at a temperature suitable for eating by the hot air circulated by the fan 30, and the dishes containing the food placed in the storage cabinet 20 are maintained at a temperature that is not too hot to touch by the hot air circulated by the fan 30.

[0037] As described above, when the reheating program is being executed, the above-described operating status information is displayed on the display unit 51 of the operation panel 50, as shown in, for example, FIG. 11 or 12. If the door 13 is opened while the reheating program is being executed, the door open detector 15 stops outputting an ON signal, and the control device 60 detects that the door 13 is open using the door open detector 15, and displays door open status information indicating that the door 13 is open on the display unit 51, as shown in FIG. 13. Furthermore, if the user forgets to close the door 13, the door open detector 15 stops outputting an ON signal continuously, and when the door open detector 15 does not output an ON signal continuously for a predetermined period of 60 seconds, an alarm is output from the speaker. When the user closes the door 13 and the door open detector 15 starts outputting an ON signal, the control device 60 detects that the door 13 is no longer open using the door open detector 15, stops outputting the alarm from the speaker, and again displays the operating status information shown in FIG. 11 or 12 on the operation panel 50.

[0038] 13, when door open state information is displayed on display unit 51, operation unit 52 consisting of a "home" switch is displayed on the lower left of display unit 51. Operation unit 52 consisting of the "home" switch displayed on the lower left of display unit 51 is used to switch the display screen mainly showing door open state information to a display screen mainly showing operating state information. When operation unit 52 consisting of the "home" switch on the lower left of display unit 51 is pressed, operating state information is again displayed on display unit 51, as shown in FIG. 15 or 16. Even when operating state information is displayed on display unit 51 while door 13 is detected to be in an open state, door open state information (the "door open / closed detected" display in FIG. 15 or 16) is displayed on the upper part of display unit 51, and the fact that door 13 is in an open state is continuously displayed on display unit 51.

[0039] In addition, when the display unit 51 is displaying the door open state information as shown in Figure 13, the display unit 51 is switched to display the operating state information as shown in Figure 15 or Figure 16, and if the operation unit 52 displayed on the display screen after switching is not operated for 60 seconds, the display unit 51 is caused to display information mainly consisting of the door open state information as shown in Figure 13 again, and further, if the door open detector 15 does not output an on signal continuously for a predetermined period of 60 seconds, a warning sound is output from the speaker.

[0040] When the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20 is being adjusted by controlling the operation of the heater 31 or the refrigeration device 40, as when the reheating program is being executed, maintenance work such as inspection and servicing may be performed inside the storage cabinet 20 with the door 13 open. In this case, the door 13 is opened and maintenance work such as inspection and servicing is performed inside the storage cabinet 20 through the opening 20a while operating the operation unit 52 consisting of various switches displayed on the display unit 51. For this reason, when the operation unit 52 consisting of various switches displayed on the display unit 51 is being operated, the display unit 51 continues to display information required for maintenance work and the operating status information shown in FIG. 15 or 16, without switching to the door open status information shown in FIG.

[0041] The reheater (temperature-adjusted cabinet) 10 of this embodiment comprises a storage cabinet 20 for storing tableware (stored items) containing cooked food, a heater 31 and a refrigeration device 40 as temperature regulators for regulating the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20, a temperature sensor 32 for detecting the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20, an opening 20a for transporting tableware containing cooked food into and out of the storage cabinet 20, a door 13 that can be opened and closed to cover the opening 20a, a door open detector 15 that detects when the door 13 is open, an operation panel 50 having a display unit 51 that can display information and an operation unit 52 that can output operation signals, and a control device 60 that has a reheating program (temperature adjustment program) that controls the operation of the heater 31 or the refrigeration device 40 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 32 to adjust the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20.

[0042] In this reheater 10, the display unit 51 is capable of displaying temperature information indicating the temperature detected inside the storage cabinet 20 by the temperature sensor 32, operation information regarding the operation of the heater 31 or the refrigeration device 40 (such as an indication of "heating" when control is being performed by the heater 31 or an indication of "chilling" when control is being performed by the refrigeration device 40), and operating status information (shown in Figure 11 or Figure 12) indicating operating information when regulating the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20, as well as door open status information (shown in Figure 13) when the door 13 is in an open state detected by the door open detector 15.

[0043] In this reheater 10, when the reheating program is being executed and the door open detector 15 detects that the door 13 is open, the display unit 51 displays door open state information on the display screen (shown in FIG. 13 ), and by operating the operation unit 52, which is made up of a switch labeled “Home” in the lower left corner of this display screen, it is possible to switch from the display screen displaying the door open state information to a display screen displaying operating state information (shown in FIG. 15 or 16 ). Even when the door open detector 15 causes the display unit 51 to display door open state information indicating that the door 13 is open to notify the user that the door 13 is open, the display screen of the display unit 51 can be switched to a display screen displaying operating state information, so that even when the door 13 is open, the display unit 51 can display a display screen displaying operating state information, and the operating state information can be confirmed on the display unit 51. By doing so, when performing maintenance such as inspection inside storage cabinet 20 through opening 20a with door 13 in the open state, maintenance work inside storage cabinet 20 can be performed while checking operating status information on display unit 51 that indicates the operating status when regulating the temperature inside storage cabinet 20, including temperature information from temperature sensor 32 and operating information related to the operation of heater 31 or refrigeration device 40, thereby improving the workability of maintenance work inside storage cabinet 20. Note that in this embodiment, the operating status information includes both temperature information and operating information, but this is not limited to this, and the operating status information may include only one of temperature information and operating information.

[0044] In this reheater 10, after the display screen displayed on the display unit 51 is switched from a display screen that primarily displays door open status information shown in Fig. 13 to a display screen that primarily displays operating status information shown in Fig. 15 or 16, if the operation unit 52 of the operation panel 50 is not operated within a preset standby time of 60 seconds, the display screen that primarily displays the door open status information shown in Fig. 13 is displayed again. When the reheating program is being executed and the heater 31 or the refrigeration device 40 (temperature controller) is being controlled to regulate the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20, maintenance work such as inspection and inspection may be performed inside the storage cabinet 20 with the door 13 open. In this case, the operating status information shown in Fig. 15 or 16 is primarily displayed, and the user is required to check operating status information including the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20 and operating information of the heater 31 or the refrigeration device 40 (temperature controller), and to perform the work while operating the operation unit 52, which is comprised of various switches required for maintenance and displayed on the display unit 51. While the operation unit 52, which is made up of various switches required for maintenance, is being operated, the display unit 51 continuously displays mainly information on the operating state.

[0045] In response to this, the user may forget to close door 13 after completing maintenance work on storage cabinet 20 by switching the display screen displayed on display unit 51 from the display screen primarily displaying door open status information shown in FIG. 13 to the display screen primarily displaying operating status information shown in FIG. 15 or 16 . In this embodiment, if operation unit 52 of operation panel 50 is not operated within a preset waiting time of 60 seconds after completing maintenance work, the display screen primarily displaying door open status information shown in FIG. 13 is again displayed. As a result, even if the user forgets to close door 13 after switching to the display screen primarily displaying operating status information, the display screen primarily displaying door open status information is still displayed on display unit 51, making it easier for the user to notice that door 13 is open based on the door open status information displayed on display unit 51. While the waiting time is set to 60 seconds in this embodiment, the waiting time is not limited to this and may be shorter or longer than 60 seconds.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the door open detector 15 detects that the door 13 has been opened, it is detected that the door 13 is in an open state, but this is not limited to this, and the door open detector 15 may also detect that the door 13 is in an open state when the door 13 has been open for a predetermined period of time (for example, 10 to 30 seconds).

[0047] The present invention is applicable to a temperature-controlled storage cabinet capable of controlling the temperature inside the storage cabinet, and in this embodiment, a reheater 10 capable of controlling the temperature inside the storage cabinet 20 using a heater 31 or a refrigeration device 40 has been used, but the present invention is not limited to this and is also applicable to an incubator capable of controlling the temperature inside the storage cabinet, a refrigerator or freezer capable of controlling the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment and / or freezer compartment (both of which are storage cabinets), etc.

[0048] The operation panel 50 of this embodiment uses a touch panel type liquid crystal panel, and the operation section 52 is displayed on the display section 51 using the liquid crystal panel, but this is not limited to this and the operation panel 50 may use the display section 51 and the operation section 52 using button switches, a keypad, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10...Temperature control cabinet (reheater), 13...door, 15...door open detector, 20...storage cabinet, 20a...opening, 31...temperature controller (heater), 32...temperature sensor, 40...temperature controller (refrigeration device), 50...operation panel, 51...display unit, 52...operation unit.

Claims

1. A storage cabinet for storing items to be stored; a temperature regulator for adjusting the temperature inside the storage facility; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the storage facility; An opening for carrying stored items into and out of the storage cabinet; a door that can be freely opened and closed to close the opening; a door open detector that detects that the door is open; an operation panel having a display unit capable of displaying information and an operation unit capable of outputting operation signals; a control device having a temperature adjustment program that controls the operation of the temperature adjuster based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to adjust the temperature inside the storage cabinet; When the temperature adjustment program is executed to adjust the temperature inside the storage cabinet, the display unit can display operating state information indicating an operating state when adjusting the temperature inside the storage cabinet, including at least one of temperature information indicating a temperature detected by the temperature sensor and operation information indicating information related to the operation of the temperature adjuster, and can also display door open state information when the door is in an open state detected by the door open detector, When the temperature control program is being executed and the door open detector detects that the door is open, the display unit displays the door open state information on a display screen, and the display screen on which the door open state information is displayed can be switched to a display screen that displays the operating state information.

2. The temperature-controlled cabinet according to claim 1, This temperature-controlled cabinet is characterized in that, after switching from a display screen displaying the door open state information to a display screen displaying the operating state information, the display screen displaying the door open state information is controlled to be displayed again when the operating unit is not operated for a preset waiting time.

Images