Refrigeration equipment

Abstract

This invention provides a refrigeration device (rapid freezer) that can reduce power consumption in cases where rapid freezing is not performed frequently, such as in household use. [Solution] The refrigeration apparatus of the present disclosure comprises a shower chamber for pouring cooled antifreeze over an object, and a cooling chamber separated from the shower chamber for cooling the antifreeze.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigeration device.

Background Art

[0002] When rapidly freezing foods or the like in the freezer of a household refrigerator, the cooling method using cold air (air-cooling method) has been the mainstream. On the other hand, a liquid immersion type refrigeration device (quick freezer) with a faster cooling speed than the air-cooling method is known (for example, Patent Document 1). In the liquid immersion type refrigeration device, an object such as food is frozen by immersing the object in a coolant (a non-freezing liquid such as an ethanol solution) stored in a cooling tank.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a liquid immersion type refrigeration device, in order to always keep the non-freezing liquid (coolant) in the cooling tank at a low temperature, power is continuously consumed. In the case of business use, operations such as immersing an object in the coolant maintained at a low temperature for rapid freezing and storing the object after rapid freezing in a normal refrigerator are repeated, so such continuous power consumption is necessary to a certain extent. However, for example, when the frequency of performing rapid freezing is low in household use or the like, it is uneconomical to continuously consume power to maintain the non-freezing liquid at a low temperature, and it is desirable to limit the power consumption of the refrigeration device only when necessary.

[0005] However, in liquid immersion type refrigeration systems, even if operation is started when needed from a stopped state (no power supplied), it is not possible to quickly cool the antifreeze and enable immediate rapid freezing. This is because a long pre-cooling time is required to bring the temperature of a sufficient amount of antifreeze stored in the cooling tank from room temperature to a low temperature (e.g., -40°C) that allows for rapid freezing.

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a refrigeration device (rapid freezer) that can reduce power consumption when rapid freezing is not performed frequently, such as in household use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A refrigeration apparatus relating to one aspect of this disclosure is: A shower room for pouring cooled antifreeze over the object, The system includes a cooling chamber for cooling the antifreeze, which is separated from the shower room. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to provide a refrigeration device (rapid freezer) that can reduce power consumption when rapid freezing is not performed frequently, such as in household use. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a refrigeration system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heat exchanger used in the refrigeration system of the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a refrigeration system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 4] This is a schematic top view showing a refrigeration system according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are basically the same.

[0011] [Embodiment 1] The refrigeration apparatus of this embodiment is a device (rapid freezer) that can rapidly freeze an object using a coolant.

[0012] Coolant is a cooled antifreeze (a liquid that does not freeze even when cooled to the target temperature). The antifreeze is not particularly limited and various known antifreezes can be used, but examples include solutions containing organic solvents such as ethanol (organic brines) and saline solutions. Examples of organic solvents include alcohols such as ethanol, methylbutane, ethylene glycol, and propylene glycol. The temperature of the coolant is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to set it to a temperature that allows for rapid freezing to maintain the freshness of food and other items (for example, within a range of approximately -40°C to -20°C).

[0013] The objects are not particularly limited, but examples include packaged foods. Examples of packaged foods include packaged foods containing a predetermined amount of meat, fish, or processed products thereof.

[0014] Referring to Figure 1, the refrigeration device 1 of this embodiment comprises a shower room 4 and a cooling room 2 separated from the shower room 4. Thus, in this embodiment, the shower room 4, which serves as a cooling space for the object 8 such as food, and the cooling room 2, where the antifreeze 3 is cooled, are separated (isolated).

[0015] (Shower room) In shower room 4, cooled antifreeze (coolant) is poured onto the object. This causes the object to freeze rapidly.

[0016] In FIG. 1, the refrigeration device 1 includes a supply device (supply flow path 42 and pump 43) for supplying the antifreeze liquid (cooling liquid 3) cooled in the cooling chamber 2 to the shower chamber 4. A shower mechanism 41 is provided in the shower chamber 4. The cooling liquid supplied from the cooling chamber 2 is poured over the object 8 (such as food) placed in the container 40 as shower-like liquid droplets 3a of the cooling liquid by the shower mechanism 41. Note that in this embodiment, "pouring over" the cooling liquid does not refer only to the form of spraying the liquid droplets 3a in a shower-like manner onto the object, but also includes forms such as pouring the continuously or intermittently flowing cooling liquid over the object, or spraying fine-diameter liquid droplets onto the object.

[0017] By performing such "pouring over" of the cooling liquid 3 onto the object, the usage amount (storage amount) of the cooling liquid 3 in the entire refrigeration device 1 can be reduced. That is, the amount of the cooling liquid 3 stored in the cooling tank 21 can be made less than that in a liquid immersion type refrigeration device. Thereby, even when starting the operation (cooling of the cooling tank 21) from the operation stop state during use, since the amount of the antifreeze liquid 3 stored in the cooling tank 21 is small, the antifreeze liquid 3 can be cooled quickly, and rapid freezing by the cooling liquid 3 can be performed in a relatively short time from the start of operation. Therefore, when the frequency of performing rapid freezing is low, by stopping the operation of the refrigeration device except during use and energizing the refrigeration device to start the operation for each use, the power consumption of the refrigeration device can be significantly reduced.

[0018] Note that by performing such "pouring over" of the cooling liquid 3 onto the object, the heat transfer efficiency (cooling efficiency) can be increased compared to a direct cooling type liquid immersion type refrigeration device, and the object can be cooled with a cooling efficiency equal to or higher than that of a forced convection type liquid immersion type refrigeration device. This is because the replacement of the cooling liquid 3 around the object is performed quickly, increasing the heat exchange rate.

[0019] For example, if the coolant (antifreeze) contains an organic solvent, there are concerns about flammability and potential health effects of organic solvents such as ethanol. When the shower room 4 is open, it becomes a workspace where the user can perform operations such as placing the object 8 inside the container 40 and moving the container 40 containing the object 8 in it. Therefore, from a safety standpoint, it is desirable that no coolant is present in the shower room 4 when it is open. In this embodiment, as described above, the shower room 4 and the cooling room 2 are separated. Therefore, except when the cooling liquid 3 is being poured onto the object 8 in the shower room 4, all of the cooling liquid 3 can be collected and stored in the cooling room 2, so that there is no cooling liquid in the workspace where the user performs operations (shower room 4 when open).

[0020] Container 40 is, for example, a container provided with holes or gaps that allow the coolant 3, which is poured over the object 8 inside the container 40, to pass downwards. Furthermore, the container 40 may have a structure that allows it to temporarily store the coolant 3 and, after storing the coolant 3 for a predetermined time, allow it to pass through downwards. In this case, it is preferable that the amount of coolant 3 stored in the container 40 be relatively small. This is because reducing the total amount of coolant 3 required for the refrigeration system 1 is preferable for reducing power consumption. Also, it is preferable that the shower room 4 (door 12) is securely closed while the coolant 3 is stored in the container 40.

[0021] The container 40 on which the object 8 is placed can be moved in and out of the shower room 4 with the door 12 open. Furthermore, the container 40 may be a retractable container that can be moved in and out of the shower room 4 when the door 12 is open, or it may be a retractable container integrated with the door, similar to those used in the vegetable compartment and freezer compartment of a typical refrigerator.

[0022] Furthermore, when opening the shower room 4, in order to ensure that no refrigerant remains inside the shower room 4, a warning may be issued to the user to wait until an indication of freezing completion is displayed, for example, by sound, light, or LCD, before opening the shower room 4. Alternatively, a locking mechanism may be provided on the door 12 to prevent the shower room 4 from being opened if any refrigerant remains inside.

[0023] After cooling the object 8, the coolant 3 is collected in the cooling tank 21 via the return channel 44 from the bottom of the shower chamber 4.

[0024] Furthermore, a filter 61 may be installed between the return channel 44 and the cooling tank 21 to filter out foreign matter 6 such as residue and precipitated ice (ice particles formed in the shower chamber 4). By removing the ice, the decrease in the concentration of the coolant 3 over time can be suppressed, the refrigeration performance can be maintained, and the occurrence of problems caused by the inclusion of foreign matter can be suppressed.

[0025] Furthermore, if the refrigerant (antifreeze) contains a volatile organic solvent such as ethanol, a check valve 62 may be provided to prevent the vapor of the organic solvent from flowing back from the cooling chamber 2 into the shower chamber 4.

[0026] (cooling room) Cooling chamber 2 is a space for cooling the antifreeze. The cooling chamber 2 is separated from the shower chamber 4. In Figure 1, the space inside the refrigeration unit 1, which is formed by a case 11 and door 12 made of insulating material, is separated by a partition member 13 into the upper shower chamber 4 and the lower cooling chamber 2.

[0027] For example, in a cooling tank 21 equipped with refrigerant pipes (not shown) wound around the outer circumference of the cooling tank 21, the antifreeze (coolant 3) stored in the cooling tank 21 is cooled (see Figure 1). Refrigerant flows inside the refrigerant pipes, and the refrigerant evaporates inside the pipes, absorbing heat, thereby cooling the coolant 3 in the cooling tank 21 via the walls of the cooling tank 21. In other words, in this embodiment, a direct-cooling type cooling tank 21 is installed in the cooling chamber 2. While a forced-circulation type cooling tank may be used, in which the coolant 3 in the cooling tank 21 is forcibly circulated by an agitator and cooled by refrigerant pipes installed inside or on at least a part of the outer circumference of the cooling tank 21, a direct-cooling type cooling tank does not require an agitator and is therefore easier to make compact.

[0028] Here, the refrigerant pipe is the refrigerant pipe that serves as the evaporator for the refrigerant, that is, the refrigerant pipe that serves as the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle. In order to evaporate (vaporize) the refrigerant within the refrigerant pipe (evaporator), a throttling section (not shown) is usually provided on the upstream side of the refrigerant pipe. The throttling section consists, for example, of an expansion valve and a capillary tube connected in series downstream thereof. Typically, a compressor is connected downstream of the refrigerant pipe, and a condenser is connected downstream of the compressor. The throttle is connected downstream of the condenser. That is, the throttle is supplied with refrigerant that has been compressed by the compressor and then condensed in the condenser to release heat. The refrigerant that has vaporized in the refrigerant pipe (evaporator) is returned to the compressor. An accumulator may be provided on the suction side of the compressor. In this way, a refrigeration cycle for cooling the cooling tank 21 is configured.

[0029] In a liquid immersion type refrigeration system, the object is usually cooled by the coolant throughout the entire cooling tank. However, in the flow-through type refrigeration system of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the coolant 3, which is at the lowest temperature near the bottom of the cooling tank 21, is drawn up and flowed over the object 8, thereby enabling more efficient and rapid cooling of the object.

[0030] Referring to Figure 2, in the cooling chamber 2, for example, the antifreeze may be cooled by a heat exchanger 22 provided within the cooling chamber 2. While heat exchangers can only provide small amounts of sufficiently cooled coolant at a time, the flow-through type refrigeration system of this embodiment does not require the provision of a large amount of coolant at once; it is sufficient to continuously provide small amounts of coolant, making it possible to use a heat exchanger.

[0031] In Figure 2, a refrigerant pipe 22a is wound around the outer surface of the cooling tank 21 in the circumferential direction. The refrigerant pipe 22a, like the refrigerant pipe wound around the outer surface of the cooling tank 21 described above, is a refrigerant pipe that serves as the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle. The coolant 3 returned from the shower room 4 is supplied into the cooling tank 21 from the inlet 21a at the top of the cooling tank 21 (see white arrow in Figure 2), and flows downward while bypassing the flow path within the cooling tank 21 formed by the partition wall 21b. As the coolant 3 flows through the cooling tank 21 in this way, it is efficiently cooled by the refrigerant pipe 22a.

[0032] When using the heat exchanger 22, the required amount of antifreeze can be cooled in small increments in a short time, further shortening the time from the start of operation until rapid freezing becomes possible. This makes it possible to perform rapid freezing quickly after starting operation from a stopped state (improved responsiveness), and also further reduces the power consumption of the refrigeration unit 1.

[0033] Furthermore, when using the heat exchanger 22, the total amount of antifreeze used can be reduced even further than when cooling the antifreeze 3 stored in the cooling tank 21. This allows for further miniaturization of the cooling chamber 2 and the entire refrigeration system 1, and also improves safety when the antifreeze contains organic solvents. A reservoir tank that can store a small amount of antifreeze may be provided near the inlet 21a. This allows for the replenishment of antifreeze that has been lost due to adhesion to the object 8 during the flow process.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, in the heat exchanger 22, it is preferable that the vertical direction of the refrigerant flow in the refrigerant pipe 22a (upward direction indicated by the black arrow) is opposite to the vertical direction of the coolant (antifreeze) flow in the cooling tank 21 (downward direction indicated by the upper white arrow), that is, a counterflow system. In this case, the cooling performance of the refrigerant is higher upstream of the refrigerant pipe 22a (lower side in Figure 2), and the temperature of the coolant is lower downstream of the cooling tank 21 (lower side in Figure 2), so that cooling (heat exchange) by the refrigerant can be efficiently carried out throughout the heat exchanger 22.

[0035] In addition, in the refrigeration apparatus of this embodiment, it is also possible to perform a mild thawing method similar to thawing with running water by changing the temperature of the cooling tank 21, etc., so that the temperature of the antifreeze 3 is higher (for example, around -2°C to 2°C) than the temperature of the object stored in a separate freezer, etc. (for example, -5°C), and then pouring the antifreeze over the object such as frozen food in the shower chamber 4.

[0036] [Embodiment 2] Figure 3 shows a refrigeration device according to Embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 mainly in the arrangement of the shower room 4 and the cooling room 2. Otherwise, it is basically the same as Embodiment 1.

[0037] In the refrigeration system 1 of Embodiment 2, the shower chamber 4 and the cooling chamber 2 are arranged horizontally (at the same height). This allows the height of the refrigeration unit 1 to be lower (for example, 10-15 cm) compared to the case where the shower chamber 4 and the cooling chamber 2 are arranged vertically, as shown in Figure 1. While processing capacity is prioritized for commercial use, for home use, compactness is prioritized over processing capacity, in addition to safety and convenience. Therefore, the ability to reduce the height of the refrigeration unit 1 in a home freezing system (rapid freezer) is a significant advantage.

[0038] Because the refrigeration unit 1 is low in height, it can be placed below or above an existing refrigerator 7, making it easy to secure installation space for the refrigeration unit 1 (see Figure 3). Furthermore, in the case of liquid immersion type refrigeration equipment (rapid freezing machines), space is required above the cooling tank where the coolant is stored for the container holding the object to be frozen to operate. For this reason, it is difficult to install liquid immersion type refrigeration equipment on top of or below other equipment. If the freezing device 1 is located at the bottom of the refrigerator 7, reinforcing beams extending in the front-to-back direction may be provided at both ends in the width direction of the upper surface of the main body of the freezing device 1.

[0039] The horizontal arrangement of the shower room 4 and the cooling room 2 is not particularly limited, and various arrangements as shown in Figures 4(a) to (c) are possible. The user faces the front of the refrigeration unit 1, and the machine room 5 houses the equipment necessary for the refrigeration cycle. In the configuration shown in Figures 4(a) to 4(c), the cooling chamber 2 (pre-cooling section for the coolant) is located in front of the machine room 5, making it easy to perform maintenance such as replenishing the coolant in the cooling chamber 2 and removing accumulated moisture (ice). In the arrangements shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(c), the shower room 4 has a wide opening and a shallow depth, making it easy to move the container 40 in and out of the shower room 4. In the configuration shown in Figure 4(b), maintenance such as replenishing the coolant in the cooling chamber 2 can be performed without fully extending the shower chamber 4, and there is an advantage in that the space required to extend the shower chamber 4, which is located in front of the refrigeration unit 1, can be reduced.

[0040] In Embodiment 2, as shown in Figure 3, the container 40 for placing the object 8 inside the shower room 4 is preferably a retractable (forward and backward movable) container that can be moved in and out of the shower room 4 (see black arrow in Figure 3). In the low-height refrigeration system of Embodiment 2, the height of the opening of the shower room 4 is also low, and with a door-opening type like in Figure 1, it is relatively difficult to move the container 40 and the object 8 into and out of the shower room 4. Furthermore, because it is a flow-through type refrigeration system, it is possible to move the container 40 back and forth. In the case of a liquid immersion type refrigeration system, it is necessary to move the cooling tank in which the coolant in which the object is immersed is stored, which raises safety concerns. Also, opening the front side of the cooling tank complicates the seal line and increases the risk of liquid leakage.

[0041] [summary] A refrigeration apparatus (e.g., refrigeration apparatus 1) relating to one aspect of this disclosure is: A shower room (e.g., shower room 4) for pouring cooled antifreeze (e.g., antifreeze 3) onto an object (e.g., object 8), The system includes a cooling chamber (for example, cooling chamber 2) for cooling the antifreeze, which is separated from the shower room.

[0042] In a refrigeration apparatus relating to one aspect of this disclosure, The shower room and the cooling room are arranged horizontally.

[0043] In a refrigeration apparatus relating to one aspect of this disclosure, The antifreeze is cooled by a heat exchanger (for example, heat exchanger 22) installed in the cooling chamber.

[0044] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. Configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1. Refrigeration equipment 11 cases 12 doors 13 Partition members 2 Cooling room 21 Cooling tank 21a Inlet 21b Bulkhead 22 Heat exchanger 22a Refrigerant pipe 3. Coolant (antifreeze) 4. Shower room 40 containers 41 Shower mechanism 42 Supply channel 43 pumps 44 Return channel 5 Machine room 6 Foreign object 61 Filters 62 Check valve 7 Refrigerator 8. Object

Claims

1. A shower room for pouring cooled antifreeze over the object, A refrigeration apparatus comprising a cooling chamber for cooling the antifreeze, which is separated from the shower chamber.

2. The refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shower chamber and the cooling chamber are arranged horizontally.

3. The refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antifreeze is cooled by a heat exchanger provided in the cooling chamber.

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