Liquid freezing device

Abstract

To prevent a decrease in cooling efficiency by antifreeze liquid in a freezing tank, while making a partition plate which partitions the inside of the freezing tank so that antifreeze liquid can pass through it less likely to be deformed by an external force. [Solution] The liquid freezing device 10 comprises a freezing tank 20 that freezes objects to be frozen using antifreeze stored inside, an evaporator 46 arranged on one side of the freezing tank 20, a partition plate 30 that separates one side of the freezing tank 20 where the evaporator 46 is arranged as a cooling area 25 and the remaining part as a storage area 26 in which objects to be frozen can be stored while allowing antifreeze to pass through, and a stirring device 50 that causes the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 to circulate between the cooling area 25 and the storage area 26. Below the liquid level of the antifreeze in the partition plate 30, there is provided a liquid-passing area 34 in which liquid-passing holes 33 through which the antifreeze can pass are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions, and a liquid-non-passing area 35 in which the liquid-passing holes 33 are not arranged continuously in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.

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] The applicant of the present application filed an invention for a liquid freezing device in Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-102678, which freezes food ingredients, cooked foods, and other frozen objects using cooled antifreeze liquid. This liquid freezing device includes a freezing tank that freezes the frozen objects using antifreeze liquid stored inside, a freezing device evaporator that is spirally wound at the rear of the freezing tank and cools the antifreeze liquid, a partition plate that separates the rear of the freezing tank where the evaporator is located as a cooling area and the remaining area as a storage area in which the frozen objects can be stored while allowing the antifreeze liquid to pass through, and an agitator that is located in the cooling area of ​​the freezing tank and agitates the antifreeze to cause convection between the cooling area and the storage area.

[0003] The partition plate, which separates the freezing tank into a cooling region and a storage region to allow liquid to pass through, functions to prevent the material to be frozen stored in the storage region from coming into contact with the evaporator and the agitator blades that make up the agitator. A passage through which antifreeze can pass is formed between the lower end of the partition plate and the bottom wall of the freezing tank, allowing the antifreeze in the cooling region to pass through the passage to the storage region. The partition plate is formed with a number of liquid passage ports below the antifreeze liquid level, allowing the antifreeze in the storage region to pass through the liquid passage ports to the cooling region. The agitator also includes agitator blades that generate a downward water flow inside the spiral evaporator, and the antifreeze in the cooling region generates a downward water flow inside the spiral evaporator. The antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank is sent from the cooling area to the storage area through a passage between the lower end of the partition plate and the bottom wall of the freezing tank by the water current flowing downward inside the spiral evaporator, and the antifreeze liquid in the storage area is returned to the cooling area through a liquid passage formed in the partition plate, and the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank circulates between the cooling area and the storage area. In addition, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank is cooled by the refrigerant circulating through the evaporator of the refrigeration device, and the object to be frozen stored in the storage area is cooled by heat exchange with the antifreeze liquid convecting between the cooling area and the storage area. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the liquid freezing device described above, the partition plate has numerous openings formed below the antifreeze liquid level, and the antifreeze liquid in the storage area is returned to the cooling area through these openings. The openings are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction) over almost the entire surface of the partition plate, excluding the periphery. The openings allow the antifreeze liquid in the freezing chamber to convect between the cooling area and the storage area. However, because the openings are formed over almost the entire surface of the partition plate, excluding the periphery, the strength of the partition plate is weakened, and there is a risk of the partition plate warping and deforming due to external forces. In particular, the partition plate is subjected to external forces due to the flow of antifreeze liquid caused by the agitator in the freezing chamber, and there is a risk of the partition plate being deformed by the external forces caused by the flow of antifreeze liquid. Furthermore, the partition plate is fixed to the rear wall of the freezing chamber using brackets, and there is a risk of the partition plate being deformed by external forces applied by workers when fixing the partition plate to the brackets. If the partition plate warps toward the cooling area, it may be difficult for the antifreeze to flow around the evaporator, making it difficult to exchange heat with the refrigerant passing through the evaporator, and the antifreeze may be difficult to cool. Also, if the partition plate warps toward the storage area, it may come into contact with the objects to be frozen in the storage area, making it difficult to carry the objects into and out of the storage area. The present invention aims to make the partition plate, which divides the freezing tank while allowing the antifreeze to pass through, less likely to deform even under external forces, while not reducing the cooling efficiency of the antifreeze in the freezing tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a liquid freezing device comprising a freezing tank that freezes objects to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored inside, an evaporator of a refrigeration device that is arranged on one side of the freezing tank and cools the antifreeze liquid, a partition plate that separates one side of the freezing tank where the evaporator is arranged as a cooling area and the remaining part as a storage area in which objects to be frozen can be stored while allowing antifreeze liquid to pass through, and an agitator that agitates the antifreeze in the freezing tank to cause convection between the cooling area and the storage area, wherein, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the partition plate, there is provided a liquid-passing area in which liquid-passing holes through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions, and a liquid-non-passing area in which liquid-passing holes are not arranged continuously in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0006] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the partition plate, there are provided a liquid-passing region in which liquid-passing ports through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions, and a liquid-non-passing region in which the liquid-passing ports are not continuously arranged in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.Even if the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank can convect between the cooling region and the storage region through the liquid-passing ports in the liquid-passing region, the partition plate has a liquid-non-passing region in which the liquid-passing ports are not continuously arranged in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions, so that the strength of the partition plate is increased by this liquid-non-passing region, making it less likely to warp or deform even when an external force is applied.

[0007] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, it is preferable to provide a liquid-tight region in at least one of the vertical center and horizontal center of the partition plate. The strength of the vertical center and horizontal center of the partition plate is likely to be weakened by the formation of the liquid-passage port. When the liquid-tight region is provided in the vertical center of the partition plate so as to extend horizontally, the partition plate can be prevented from warping toward the cooling region or storage region at both horizontal sides even when an external force is applied. Furthermore, when the liquid-tight region is provided in the horizontal center of the partition plate so as to extend vertically, the partition plate can be prevented from warping toward the cooling region or storage region at both horizontal sides even when an external force is applied. Furthermore, when the liquid-tight region is provided in the vertical center of the partition plate so as to extend horizontally and the liquid-tight region is provided in the horizontal center so as to extend vertically, the partition plate can be prevented from warping toward the cooling region or storage region at both horizontal sides and vertical sides even when an external force is applied.

[0008] In the liquid freezing device configured as described above, support pins are provided on the side walls of the freezing tank at a height where a passage through which antifreeze can pass is formed between the lower end of the partition plate and the bottom wall of the freezing tank, and it is preferable that locking portions for locking onto the support pins are provided on the cooling area side of the partition plate, and that the partition plate has a window through which the support pins can be seen from the storage area side. In this way, the locking portions can be locked onto the support pins while being checked from the storage area side through the window, improving the workability when supporting the partition plate on the support pins. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [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] AA cross-sectional view. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a liquid freezing device, focusing on a freezing device. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 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 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. [Figure 9] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, in which liquid-impermeable regions are arranged separately above and below the center of the partition plate in the vertical direction. FIG. [Figure 10] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, in which a liquid-blocking region is provided in the center of the partition plate in the left-right direction. [Figure 11] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, in which liquid-blocking regions are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the center of the partition plate in the left-right direction. [Figure 12] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, in which a cross-shaped liquid-blocking region is provided in the center of the partition plate in the vertical and horizontal directions. FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] 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.

[0011] 1 and 2, liquid freezing device 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.

[0012] 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 60 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 60 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.

[0013] Hooks 22 are provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, and the hooks 22 are arranged on both left and right inclined portions 20b on both horizontally opposing sides of the opening 20a. The hooks 22 support the storage basket 60 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. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a temperature sensor 23 is provided in the freezing tank 20 and detects the temperature of the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, support pins 24 are provided at the rear of both left and right side walls of the freezing tank 20, and a partition plate 30 is detachably supported by the support pins 24.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , a partition plate 30 is detachably provided at the rear (one side) of the freezing chamber 20, dividing the interior of the freezing chamber 20 in a manner that allows antifreeze to pass through. As shown in FIG. 2 , the interior of the freezing chamber 20 is divided into a cooling region 25, located at the rear where an evaporation pipe (evaporator) 46 of a refrigeration device 40 (described later) is disposed, and a storage region 26, located in front of the cooling region 25 and capable of storing materials to be frozen. As shown in FIG. 2 , both left and right sides of the partition plate 30 are formed with side portions 31 bent toward the cooling region 25, and the side portions 31 are formed with locking portions 31a each having a recess into which a support pin 24 can be locked. The partition plate 30 is supported by the support pin 24 while spaced apart from the bottom wall of the freezing chamber 20, and a passage 30a, through which antifreeze can pass, is formed between the lower end of the partition plate 30 and the bottom wall of the freezing chamber 20. A bracket 32 ​​is provided on the upper part of the partition plate 30, and the partition plate 30 is fixed by the bracket 32 ​​so as not to tilt forward or backward. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper part of the partition plate 30 is provided with an upper limit liquid level indicator 30b that indicates the upper limit liquid level of the antifreeze liquid stored in the freezing tank 20, and a lower limit liquid level indicator 30c that indicates the lower limit liquid level. These upper limit liquid level indicators 30b and lower limit liquid level indicators 30c show the user the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid stored in the freezing tank 20.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3 , the partition plate 30 has a number of openings 33 formed below the antifreeze liquid level in the freezing chamber 20, allowing the antifreeze liquid in the freezing chamber 20 to pass between the cooling region 25 and the storage region 26 through the openings 33. In this embodiment, the openings 33 are approximately square punched holes, and are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction) of the partition plate 30. The partition plate 30 has a liquid-passing region 34 in which the openings 33 are formed except for the peripheral edge portion, allowing the antifreeze liquid to pass through, and a liquid-impermeable region 35 in which the openings 33 are not formed and the antifreeze liquid does not pass through. The liquid-passing region 34 functions as a region that allows the antifreeze liquid to pass through from the openings 33, and the liquid-impermeable region 35 functions as a region that prevents the partition plate 30 from warping or other deformation.

[0016] In this embodiment, the liquid passage region 34 extends in a band-like shape in the left-right direction above and below the antifreeze liquid level of the partition plate 30, excluding an approximately central portion, and the liquid non-passage region 35 extends in a band-like shape in the left-right direction at approximately the vertical center of the partition plate 30. In the upper liquid passage region 34, the liquid passage ports 33 are arranged in six rows in the height direction, with 41 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the left-right direction in the first and second rows from the top, and 43 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the left-right direction in the third to sixth rows from the top. In the lower liquid passage region 34, the liquid passage ports 33 are arranged in six rows in the height direction, with 43 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the left-right direction. In the liquid non-passage region 35, the height of the liquid passage ports 33 arranged in three rows in the height direction and the width of the 43 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the left-right direction are covered, with no liquid passage ports 33 formed as openings. Since the non-permeable region 35 extends in a strip-like shape in the left-right direction from the partition plate 30, the non-permeable region 35 makes it difficult for the left-right sides of the partition plate 30 to warp and deform toward the front (storage region 26 side) or rear (cooling region 25 side).

[0017] The upper and lower liquid-passing regions 34 and the liquid-non-passing region 35 are spaced apart at a height that allows for 15 rows of liquid-passing ports 33 to be arranged in the vertical direction, and the partition plate 30 is blocked by the liquid-non-passing region 35 at a height that allows for 3 rows of liquid-passing ports 33 to be arranged in the vertical direction. By providing the liquid-non-passing region 35 in the partition plate 30, the opening ratio of the liquid-passing ports 33 is reduced by approximately 1 / 5 (20%) compared to when the liquid-passing ports 33 are regularly arranged in the liquid-non-passing region 35 as in the liquid-passing region 34. Even if the opening ratio of the liquid-passing ports 33 in the partition plate 30 is reduced by approximately 1 / 5 (20%), antifreeze circulates between the cooling region 25 and the storage region 26 in the freezing tank 20, and the cooling efficiency of the objects to be frozen stored in the storage region 26 is not likely to decrease. Furthermore, by changing the height of the non-liquid-passing area 35 (for example, by changing the height of the liquid-passing opening 33 to four rows in the vertical direction), even when the non-liquid-passing area 35 reduces the opening ratio of the liquid-passing opening 33 to approximately 1 / 3 (33%), the cooling efficiency of the frozen objects stored in the storage area 26 is less likely to decrease.

[0018] 3 and 4, the partition plate 30 has window portions 36 formed as openings on both the left and right sides of the lower liquid passage area 34. The window portions 36 are positioned slightly higher than the support pins 24, and allow the locking of the support pins 24 with the locking portions 31a of the side surface portions 31 of the partition plate 30 to be visually confirmed (confirmed) from the storage area 26 side through the openings 20a of the freezing tank 20. When the partition plate 30 is supported by the support pins 24, the positions of the support pins 24 can be confirmed through the windows 36, making it easier to lock the support pins 24 with the locking portions 31a.

[0019] 2 and 5, an evaporator pipe 46 constituting the refrigeration device 40 is spirally wound and disposed in the cooling region 25, and the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the refrigerant passing through the evaporator pipe 46. As shown in FIG. 5, the refrigeration device 40 includes a compressor 41 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 42 that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pressure-fed from the compressor 41, a dryer 43 that removes moisture contained in the liquefied refrigerant, a line valve 44 consisting of a solenoid valve provided downstream of the dryer 43, an expansion valve 45 that expands the liquefied refrigerant to form a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator pipe 46 that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 45 to cool the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20. In the refrigeration device 40, the compressor 41, the condenser 42, the dryer 43, the line valve 44, the expansion valve 45, and the evaporator pipe 46 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 refrigeration device 40, the refrigerant pumped from compressor 41 is cooled in condenser 42 to become a liquefied refrigerant, and the liquefied refrigerant is converted into a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant by expansion valve 45. The low-pressure liquefied refrigerant cools the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 by the heat of vaporization when it evaporates in evaporator pipe 46.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, in the cooling region 25 of the freezing tank 20, an agitator 50 has an agitator blade 54 disposed inside a spirally wound evaporation tube 46. The antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is agitated by the rotation of the agitator blade 54 of the agitator 50, causing convection between the cooling region 25 and the storage region 26. The agitator 50 is equipped with an agitator motor 52 mounted above a support plate 51 installed at the rear of the freezing tank 20, and a rotating shaft 53 of the agitator motor 52 hangs down inside the spirally wound evaporation tube 46 in the freezing tank 20. The agitator blade 54 is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 53, and the agitator blade 54 rotates when the agitator motor 52 is operated. A guide plate 55 is provided at the bottom of the freezing tank 20, below the agitator blade 54, to guide the antifreeze in the cooling region 25 toward the storage region 26. The guide plate 55 is disposed below the stirring blade 54 and inclined downward from the cooling area 25 to the front side, which is the storage area 26 side.

[0021] When the agitator motor 52 is operated to rotate the agitator blades 54, a downward current of antifreeze liquid is generated inside the spiral evaporator pipe 46 in the cooling region 25 of the freezing tank 20. The antifreeze liquid in the cooling region is cooled as it passes around the evaporator pipe 46, and the antifreeze liquid cooled inside the spiral evaporator pipe 46 is forced forward by the guide plate 55 and sent to the storage region 26 through a passage between the lower end of the partition plate 30 and the bottom wall of the freezing tank 20. The objects to be frozen in the storage region 26 are cooled by heat exchange with the antifreeze liquid, and the antifreeze liquid in the storage region 26 is returned to the cooling region 25 through the liquid passage 33. In this way, the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the evaporator pipe 46 as it circulates between the cooling region 25 and the storage region 26, and the objects to be frozen immersed in the antifreeze liquid in the storage region 26 are cooled by the antifreeze liquid cooled during the circulating convection process.

[0022] 1, 2, 6, and 7, the liquid freezing device 10 includes a storage basket 60 for storing food ingredients, food to be frozen, and immersing the food ingredients in the freezing tank 20. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the storage basket 60 is made by bending and bonding a plurality of wires (metal wires), and includes substantially rectangular front and rear frame portions 61, 62 spaced apart from each other at the front and rear, and substantially rectangular left and right frame portions 63, 64 spaced apart from each other at the left and right sides, forming a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape overall. As shown in FIG. 6, the storage basket 60 includes a plurality of shelves 65 spaced apart from each other above and below, allowing the items to be frozen to be arranged in multiple tiers on the shelves 65.

[0023] 6 and 7, frame-shaped arms 66 are provided on both the left and right sides of storage basket 60, and arms 66 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 tank 20. Arms 66 are used to lift storage basket 60 and are also used to engage with hooks 22 provided on opening 20a of freezing tank 20, supporting storage basket 60 above the antifreeze solution at opening 20a in freezing tank 20. Also, lifting handles 68 are provided on the top of storage basket 60, and lifting handles 68 are used to grasp and lift (lift and lower) storage basket 60.

[0024] A rotation support portion 66a extending forward and backward is provided at the upper portion of the arm 66 (below the upper end), and the rotation support portion 66a is supported rotatably about a horizontal axis by a support bar 67 provided at the upper portion of the left frame portion 63 (right frame portion 64) of the storage basket 60. The frame-shaped arm 66 has a locking portion 66b below the rotation support portion 66a at its lower portion, and an operating handle portion 66c above the rotation support portion 66a at its upper portion. The arm 66 is rotatably supported by the support bar 67 via the rotation support portion 66a, and the locking portion 66b can tilt (rotate) between a close position where it approaches both the left and right sides of the storage basket 60 and a distant position (shown in FIG. 6) where it is away from both the left and right sides of the storage basket 60. In addition, the rear side of the engaging portion 66b is inclined diagonally upward, and when the engaging portion 66b is engaged with the hook 22 provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the storage basket 60 is supported at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20 so that the rear side is inclined downward.

[0025] When immersing storage basket 60 in the antifreeze solution in freezing tank 20, lifting handle 68 is grasped to lift storage basket 60, and then storage basket 60 is lowered into freezing tank 20 and immersed in the antifreeze solution. After the time required for the frozen items in storage basket 60 to freeze has elapsed, operating handle 66c of arm 66 is grasped to lift storage basket 60 above opening 20a of freezing tank 20, and operating handle 66c at the top of arm 66 is rotated inward of storage basket 60, causing locking portions 66b at the bottom of arm 66 to spread outward and assume a spaced apart position so that locking portions 66b at the bottom of arm 66 can be engaged with hooks 22 provided at opening 20a of freezing tank 20. As shown in Figure 7, when the storage basket 60 is lowered and the lower engaging portion 66b of the arm 66 is engaged with the hook 22 provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the storage basket 60 is supported above the antifreeze at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20.

[0026] As shown in Figure 8, liquid freezing device 10 is equipped with a control device 70, which is connected to temperature sensor 23, refrigeration device 40, stirring motor 52, and an operation panel 71 provided on the rear top surface of housing 11. 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.

[0027] The ROM stores a freezing operation mode for cooling the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 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 40 based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 23 while stirring motor 52 is in operation. The antifreeze in freezing tank 20 circulates and convects between cooling region 25 and storage region 26 due to stirring blades 54 rotated by stirring motor 52, and the operation of refrigeration device 40 is controlled based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 23, thereby controlling the antifreeze in freezing tank 20 to reach the freezing temperature.

[0028] When storage basket 60 containing the items to be frozen is immersed in storage area 26 of freezing tank 20, the items in storage basket 60 are cooled by heat exchange with the antifreeze circulating in freezing tank 20. After the time required for the items to be frozen in storage basket 60 has elapsed, operating handle 66c of arm 66 is grasped to lift storage basket 60 above opening 20a of freezing tank 20, and operating handle 66c at the top of arm 66 is rotated inward of storage basket 60, causing locking portions 66b at the bottom of arm 66 to spread outward and be positioned so that they can be locked by hooks 22 provided at opening 20a of freezing tank 20. When the storage basket 60 is lowered and the locking portion 66b at the bottom of the arm 66 is locked onto the hook 22 provided at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20, the storage basket 60 is supported above the antifreeze at the opening 20a of the freezing tank 20. The antifreeze adhering to the storage basket 60 and the objects to be frozen falls from the opening 20a into the freezing tank 20, causing the storage basket 60 and the objects to be drained of antifreeze.

[0029] The liquid freezing device 10 described above includes a freezing tank 20 that freezes objects to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored therein, an evaporation pipe (evaporator) 46 of a refrigeration unit 40 that is located at the rear (one side) of the freezing tank 20 and cools the antifreeze liquid, a partition plate 30 that separates the rear part of the freezing tank 20 where the evaporation pipe 46 is located as a cooling area 25 and the remaining part as a storage area 26 that can store objects to be frozen while allowing antifreeze liquid to pass through, and an agitator 50 that agitates the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 to cause convection between the cooling area 25 and the storage area 26. The antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 is cooled by the refrigerant circulating through the evaporation pipe 46, and the cooled antifreeze liquid circulates between the cooling area 25 and the storage area 26 by an agitator blade 54 rotated by an agitator motor 52.

[0030] In this liquid freezing device 10, the partition plate 30 is formed with a large number of liquid passage holes 33 through which antifreeze liquid can pass, and antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank 20 can pass between the cooling region 25 and the storage region 26 through these liquid passage holes 33. However, because the partition plate 30 has a large number of liquid passage holes 33, the strength of the partition plate 30 is weakened by the large number of liquid passage holes 33. The partition plate 30 is constantly subjected to an external force due to the flow of antifreeze liquid by the agitator 40 in the freezing tank 20, and there is a risk that the partition plate 30 will warp and deform due to the external force caused by the flow of antifreeze liquid by the agitator 50 in the freezing tank 20. In addition, the partition plate 30 is fixed to the rear wall of the freezing tank 20 using brackets 32, and there is a risk that the partition plate 30 will deform due to an external force applied by an operator when fixing the partition plate 30 with the brackets 32. By increasing the thickness of the partition plate 30, it is possible to prevent deformation such as warping of the partition plate 30, but increasing the thickness of the partition plate 30 increases the manufacturing cost, including the cost required for processing.

[0031] In this liquid freezing device 10, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid on the partition plate 30, there are provided a liquid-passing region 34 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and left-right directions (horizontal direction), and a liquid-non-passing region 35 in which the liquid-passing ports 33 are not continuously arranged in the vertical and left-right directions (horizontal direction). In this embodiment, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid on the partition plate 30, there are provided a liquid-passing region 34 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and left-right directions (horizontal direction) on the upper side of the partition plate 30, a liquid-passing region 34 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and left-right directions (horizontal direction) on the lower side of the partition plate 30, and a liquid-non-passing region 35 in which the liquid-passing ports 33 are not continuously arranged in the vertical and left-right directions (horizontal direction) in the vertical center of the partition plate 30. As a result, even if the antifreeze in the freezing tank 20 is allowed to pass through the liquid passage ports 33 of the liquid passage region 34 between the cooling region 25 and the storage region 26 and be in a state where it can convect, the partition plate 30 has a liquid-impermeable region 35 in the vertical center where the liquid passage ports 33 are not continuously arranged, so that the strength of the partition plate 30 is increased by this liquid-impermeable region 35, making it less likely to deform, such as warp, even when an external force is applied. Furthermore, the liquid-impermeable region 35 is provided in a strip-like manner in the vertical center of the partition plate 30, so that the strength of the vertical center portion of the partition plate 30, which is likely to be weak, can be increased, and the left and right (horizontal) sides of the partition plate 30 are less likely to deform, such as warp, toward the cooling region 25 or the storage region 26, due to an external force such as a water flow of antifreeze from the agitator 50.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the liquid-passing region 34 has the liquid-passing ports 33 arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), but this is not limited to this and the liquid-passing ports 33 may be arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in the vertical or horizontal direction (horizontal direction). Similarly, the liquid-non-passing region 35 has the liquid-passing ports 33 not arranged continuously in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), but this is not limited to this and the liquid-passing ports 33 may not be arranged continuously in the vertical or horizontal direction (horizontal direction).

[0033] In this liquid freezing apparatus 10, support pins 24 are provided on the side wall of freezing tank 20 at a height where a passage 30a through which antifreeze can pass is formed between the lower end of partition plate 30 and the bottom wall of freezing tank 20. In addition, a side surface 31 bent toward cooling area 25 of partition plate 30 is provided with locking portions 31a for locking support pins 24. Partition plate 30 is formed with window portions 36 through which support pins 24 can be seen from the storage area 26 side, so that locking portions 31a can be locked onto support pins 24 while checking through window portions 36 from the storage area 26 side, improving operability when supporting partition plate 30 on support pins 24.

[0034] In this liquid freezing device 10, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid on the partition plate 30, there are provided a liquid-passing region 34 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a liquid-non-passing region 35 in which the liquid-passing ports 33 are not continuously arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions. The partition plate 30 has a liquid-permeable region 34 in which liquid-permeable openings 33 through which antifreeze can pass are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions at the bottom thereof, extending in a strip-like manner in the horizontal direction; and a liquid-non-permeable region 35 in which the liquid-permeable openings 33 are not arranged continuously in the vertical and horizontal directions at predetermined intervals in the central vertical portion of the partition plate 30, but extend in a strip-like manner in the horizontal direction.

[0035] The present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 9, liquid-impermeable regions 35 may be separately disposed above and below the center of the partition plate 30. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, in addition to the liquid-permeable regions 34 at the top and bottom of the partition plate 30, a liquid-permeable region 34 in which liquid-permeable ports 33 are continuously arranged in a single row in the left-right direction is provided in the vertical center of the partition plate 30, and liquid-impermeable regions 35 in which two rows of liquid-permeable ports 33 are not continuously arranged above and below the vertical center liquid-permeable region 34. In this case, the liquid-impermeable regions 35 on at least one of the upper and lower sides may be vertically offset. Furthermore, although not shown, a liquid-impermeable region 35 in which liquid-permeable ports 33 are not continuously arranged in the left-right direction may be provided in at least one of the upper and lower parts of the partition plate 30. In this way, by extending the non-permeable region 35 in a strip-like manner in the left-right direction on the partition plate 30, the non-permeable region 35 has the effect of making the left-right sides of the partition plate 30 less likely to warp and deform toward the front (storage region 26) or rear (cooling region 25) side.

[0036] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, below the liquid level of the antifreeze on the partition plate 30, there is provided a liquid-passing area 34 in which liquid-passing holes 33 through which the antifreeze can pass are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction) and extend in a strip-like manner in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction), and a liquid-non-passing area 35 in which the liquid-passing holes 33 are not arranged continuously in the vertical and horizontal directions and extend in a strip-like manner in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction). As shown in Figure 10, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid on the partition plate 30, there may be provided a liquid-passing area 34 in approximately the left half of the partition plate 30, in which liquid-passing holes 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), a liquid-passing area 34 in approximately the right half of the partition plate 30, in which liquid-passing holes 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), and a non-liquid-passing area 35 in the center of the horizontal direction, in which the liquid-passing holes 33 are not arranged continuously in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction) but extend vertically in a columnar shape.

[0037] In the embodiment shown in Figure 10, the left-side liquid passage region 34 has 23 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the horizontal direction in the first and second rows from the top, and 24 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the horizontal direction in the third to fifteenth rows from the top, resulting in a generally rectangular shape with two liquid passage ports 33 missing at the top and bottom in the upper left corner. The right-side liquid passage region 34 has 23 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the horizontal direction in the first and second rows from the top, and 24 liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the horizontal direction in the third to fifteenth rows from the top, resulting in a generally rectangular shape with two liquid passage ports 33 missing at the top and bottom in the upper right corner. The liquid non-passage region 35 in the horizontal center is blocked off with no liquid passage ports 33 formed as openings, with a height corresponding to the height of 15 rows of liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the vertical direction and a width corresponding to five liquid passage ports 33 arranged in the horizontal direction. The liquid-impermeable regions 35 extend vertically in a columnar shape from the partition plate 30, and therefore the vertical side portions (upper or lower portions) of the partition plate 30 are less likely to warp and deform toward the front (storage region 26 side) or rear (cooling region 25 side) due to the liquid-impermeable regions 35. In particular, the liquid-impermeable regions 35 are provided in a columnar shape in the center portion of the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the partition plate 30, and therefore the strength of the center portion in the left-right direction (horizontal direction), where the strength of the partition plate 30 tends to be weak, can be increased, and the partition plate 30 is less likely to warp or deform due to external force.

[0038] The left and right liquid passage regions 34 and the liquid non-passage region 35 have a width that allows for the arrangement of approximately 24 rows of liquid passage ports 33 in the left-right direction, and the liquid non-passage region 35 blocks a width that allows for the arrangement of five rows of liquid passage ports 33 in the left-right direction. By providing this liquid non-passage region 35, the opening ratio of the liquid passage ports 33 in the partition plate 30 is reduced by approximately 5 / 24 (approximately 20%) compared to when the liquid passage ports 33 are also regularly arranged in the liquid non-passage region 35. Even if the opening ratio of the liquid passage ports 33 in the partition plate 30 is reduced by approximately 5 / 24 (approximately 20%), antifreeze circulates between the cooling region 25 and the storage region 26 in the freezing tank 20, and the cooling efficiency of the objects to be frozen stored in the storage region 26 is not likely to decrease. Furthermore, by changing the width of the non-liquid-passing area 35 (for example, by changing the width of the liquid-passing openings 33 to five rows in the left-right direction), the cooling efficiency of the frozen objects stored in the storage area 26 is less likely to decrease even when the non-liquid-passing area 35 reduces the opening ratio of the liquid-passing openings 33 to approximately 1 / 3 (33%).

[0039] The present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 11 , the liquid-passing regions 34 may be arranged separately on the left and right sides of the center of the partition plate 30. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 , a liquid-passing region 34 in which three rows of liquid-passing ports 33 are continuously arranged horizontally may be provided in the center of the partition plate 30 in the left-right direction, and liquid-non-passing regions 35 in which two rows of liquid-passing ports 33 are not continuously arranged may be provided to the left and right of this central liquid-passing region 34. In this case, the liquid-non-passing region 35 on at least one of the left and right sides may be shifted laterally away from the left and right sides. Furthermore, although not shown, a liquid-non-passing region 35 in which the liquid-passing ports 33 are not continuously arranged vertically may be provided on at least one of the left and right sides of the partition plate 30 in the left-right direction.

[0040] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to this, and a cross-shaped liquid-blocking region 35 may be provided in the approximate center in the vertical and horizontal directions as shown in Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the partition plate 30, there are provided a substantially rectangular liquid-passing region 34 in the upper left half of the partition plate 30 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), a substantially rectangular liquid-passing region 34 in the upper right half of the partition plate 30 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), and a substantially rectangular liquid-passing region 34 in the lower left half of the partition plate 30 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction). The partition plate 30 has a substantially rectangular liquid-passing region 34 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which antifreeze solution can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), a substantially rectangular liquid-passing region 34 in the lower right half of the partition plate 30 in which liquid-passing ports 33 through which antifreeze solution can pass are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (horizontal direction), and a cross-shaped liquid-non-passing region 35 in the vertical and horizontal (horizontal) center in which liquid-passing ports 33 are not continuously arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions. By providing the cross-shaped liquid-non-passing region 35 in the partition plate 30, the cross-shaped liquid-non-passing region 35 prevents the vertical and horizontal (horizontal) sides of the partition plate 30 from warping and deforming toward the front (storage region 26 side) or the rear (cooling region 25 side). The cross-shaped liquid-non-passing region 35 may also have an intersection of the cross in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the partition plate 30 is arranged at the rear of the freezing chamber 20 so as to extend in the left-right direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the partition plate 30 may be arranged at the front of the freezing chamber 20 so as to extend in the left-right direction, or at the left or right side of the freezing chamber 20 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, when the partition plate 30 is arranged at the left or right side of the freezing chamber 20 so as to extend in the front-rear direction, the liquid-permeable region 34 has the liquid-permeable openings 33 arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in at least one of the vertical direction and the front-rear direction (horizontal direction), and the liquid-non-permeable regions 35 arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in at least one of the vertical direction and the front-rear direction (horizontal direction). [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10...liquid freezing device, 20...freezing tank, 22...hook, 24...support pin, 25...cooling area, 26...storage area, 30...partition plate, 31a...engagement portion, 33...liquid passage port, 34...liquid passage area, 35...liquid non-passage area, 40...refrigeration device, 46...evaporator (evaporation tube), 50...agitation device.

Claims

1. a freezing tank that freezes the object to be frozen using antifreeze liquid stored therein; an evaporator of a refrigeration device disposed on one side of the freezing tank to cool the antifreeze; a partition plate that separates one side of the freezing tank in which the evaporator is disposed as a cooling area from the remaining side as a storage area in which objects to be frozen can be stored, in a state in which antifreeze solution can pass through; A liquid freezing device including an agitator for agitating the antifreeze liquid in the freezing tank to cause convection between the cooling area and the storage area, A liquid freezing device characterized in that, below the liquid level of the antifreeze liquid in the partition plate, there is provided a liquid-passing area in which liquid-passing holes through which the antifreeze liquid can pass are arranged continuously at predetermined intervals in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions, and a liquid-non-passing area in which the liquid-passing holes are not arranged continuously in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.

2. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the liquid-impermeable region is provided in at least one of the vertical center and horizontal center of the partition plate.

3. The liquid freezing device according to claim 1 or 2, a support pin for supporting the partition plate at a height position where a passage through which antifreeze solution can pass is formed between a lower end of the partition plate and a bottom wall of the freezing tank, on a side wall of the freezing tank; a locking portion that is engaged with the support pin is provided on the cooling area side of the partition plate, A liquid freezing device characterized in that the partition plate is formed with a window portion through which the support pins can be seen from the storage area side.

Images