Cooling cabinet body seam structure

Abstract

The joint structure of the cooling cabinet body prevents condensation from forming on the outside of the cabinet. [Solution] The joint surface 23 formed at the opening edge of the communication opening 21 of each insulated box body 16 (16A, 16B) consists of an inner peripheral edge end 27 continuous with the inner box body 26, an outer peripheral edge end 35 continuous with the outer box body 34, and a connecting member 20 positioned between these inner peripheral edge end 27 and outer peripheral edge end 35. When the two insulated box bodies 16A and 16B are connected, the joint surfaces 23, 23 facing each other constitute the joint J of the cooling cabinet body 2. When the insulated box bodies 16A and 16B are connected side by side, the inner peripheral edge ends 27, 27 that constitute the joint surfaces 23, 23 are in close contact with each other, and the outer peripheral edge ends 35, 35 that constitute the joint surfaces 23, 23 are in close contact with each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a joint structure formed at a connecting portion between two heat insulating boxes when constructing a refrigerator body of a refrigerator by connecting heat insulating boxes arranged side by side in the front-rear direction.

Background Art

[0002] In a relatively large refrigerator, in order to facilitate the transportation work to the installation location, the refrigerator body that defines the cooling chamber may be constructed by connecting a plurality of heat insulating boxes. A refrigerator having such a configuration is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. The refrigerator (refrigerator) of Patent Document 1 is formed by connecting two unit-shaped refrigerators. Each unit-shaped refrigerator includes a refrigerator body (refrigerator body) composed of a heat insulating box, and by connecting and integrating these heat insulating boxes, a refrigerator body in which one cooling chamber (inside the refrigerator) is defined inside is constructed. Each heat insulating box has a communication port provided on one of the front and rear side walls, and the opening edge of this communication port is used as a joint surface when connecting two heat insulating boxes. Although Patent Document 1 does not describe the structure of this joint surface, the seam of the refrigerator body is composed of the joint surfaces of the two heat insulating boxes and a packing interposed between the two joint surfaces. The packing is exposed to the cooled air on the inner side of the constructed refrigerator body, that is, on the cooling chamber side, and is exposed to the outside air on the outer side of the constructed refrigerator body, that is, outside the refrigerator.

[0003] The insulated box body that constitutes the main body of the cooling cabinet is formed of an inner box and an outer box arranged inside and outside, and an insulating material filled between the two boxes. The inner and outer boxes are connected by a connecting material made of synthetic resin, which suppresses heat conduction between the two boxes. An insulated box body with such a configuration is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 2. In the insulated box body described in Patent Document 2, the connecting material is arranged at the opening edge of the front opening formed in the insulated box body, and connects the peripheral edge of the inner box to the peripheral edge of the outer box. Specifically, the inner box has walls on the top, bottom, left, and right, and by bending the edges of these walls outward, a peripheral edge made of a rectangular frame-shaped flat plate is formed to protrude. Similarly, the outer box has walls on the top, bottom, left, and right, and by bending the edges of these walls inward, a peripheral edge made of a rectangular frame-shaped flat plate is formed to protrude. The connecting member comprises a base that fills the gap between the peripheral edges of both boxes, a bifurcated internal mounting portion provided on the inner box side of the base and onto which the peripheral edge of the inner box is attached, and a bifurcated external mounting portion provided on the outer box side of the base and onto which the peripheral edge of the outer box is attached. The inner and outer boxes are connected by inserting the peripheral edge of the inner box into the internal mounting portion and the peripheral edge of the outer box into the external mounting portion. When the two boxes are connected by the connecting member, the outer surfaces of the inner and outer peripheral edges are arranged on the same plane, and the connecting member protrudes outward from the outer surfaces. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-130923 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-20069 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] As with the cooler described in Patent Document 1, forming a cooler by connecting insulated box bodies makes it easier to transport even relatively large coolers to their installation locations. However, the packing interposed between the joint surfaces at the joints of the cooler bodies is cooled from the cooling chamber side, causing the overall temperature to drop, and condensation is likely to occur on the outer portion of the packing that is exposed to the outside air. Furthermore, if the joint surface is in a form where the connecting material protrudes outward from the outer surfaces of both peripheral edges, as with the insulated box body described in Patent Document 2, the connecting materials will come into contact with each other first when the insulated box bodies are connected, so the joints of the cooler bodies are constructed with the outer surfaces of the inner and outer peripheral edges spaced apart. At this joint, both connecting materials are exposed to cooled air on the cooling chamber side and exposed to the outside air on the outside, so, similar to Patent Document 1, both connecting materials are cooled from the cooling chamber side, causing the overall temperature to drop, and condensation is likely to occur on the outer portion of the connecting materials that is exposed to the outside air. The occurrence of large amounts of condensation can lead to problems such as the condensation water running down and wetting the floor.

[0006] The objective of the present invention is to prevent condensation from occurring on the outside of the cooler body in the joint structure of the cooler body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a joint structure formed at the connection point between two insulated box bodies 16A and 16B when constructing the main body 2 of a cooling cabinet 1 by connecting two insulated box bodies 16(16A and 16B) arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction. Each insulated box body 16(16A and 16B) is formed in the shape of a rectangular box by filling the space formed by a metal inner box 17 and an outer box 18 with insulating material 19. When connected, the front-to-back surfaces facing each other have a communication opening 21 and a joint surface 23. The inner box 17 has an inner box body 26 that partitions the inner surface of the insulated box body 16, and an inner peripheral edge end 27 that protrudes outward from the edge of the inner box body 26 facing the communication opening 21 and is located at the opening edge of the communication opening 21. The outer box 18 has an outer box body 34 that partitions the outer surface of the insulated box body 16, and an outer peripheral edge end 35 that is formed to protrude inward from the edge of the outer box body 34 facing the communication opening 21 and is located at the opening edge of the communication opening 21. A connecting material 20 made of synthetic resin is placed between the inner peripheral edge end 27 and the outer peripheral edge end 35 to connect the two boxes 17 and 18. The joint surface 23 formed at the opening edge of the communication opening 21 of each insulated box body 16 (16A and 16B) consists of an inner peripheral edge end 27 that is continuous with the inner box body 26, an outer peripheral edge end 35 that is continuous with the outer box body 34, and a connecting material 20 that is placed between these inner peripheral edge end 27 and outer peripheral edge end 35. When the two insulated box bodies 16A and 16B are connected, the joint surfaces 23, 23 that face each other constitute the joint J of the cooling cabinet body 2. Furthermore, when the parallel-arranged insulated boxes 16A and 16B are connected, the inner peripheral edge ends 27, 27 that constitute the joint surfaces 23, 23 are in close contact with each other, and the outer peripheral edge ends 35, 35 that constitute the joint surfaces 23, 23 are in close contact with each other.

[0008] When the insulated boxes 16A and 16B are connected, the direction in which the joint surfaces 23 of each insulated box 16 face each other is defined as the opposing direction, and the opposing surfaces of the joint surfaces 23 are defined as the opposing surfaces. The direction directly opposite the opposing direction in the front-rear direction is defined as the non-opposing direction. The opposing surfaces of the inner peripheral edge ends 27 and the opposing surfaces of the outer peripheral edge ends 35 are arranged on the same plane, and the opposing surfaces of the connecting members 20 are configured so as not to protrude beyond that plane in the opposing direction.

[0009] The connecting member 20 includes a base portion 41 that fills the gap between the inner and outer peripheral end portions 27 and 35, an inner mounting portion 42 provided on the inner box 17 side of the base portion 41 into which the inner peripheral end portion 27 is inserted and attached, and an outer mounting portion 43 provided on the outer box 18 side of the base portion 41 into which the outer peripheral end portion 35 is inserted and attached. The inner peripheral end portion 27 consists of an inner base end wall 29 provided continuously with the inner box body 26, an inner tip wall 30 attached to the inner mounting portion 42, and an inner connecting wall 31 connecting the inner base end wall 29 and the inner tip wall 30. The inner tip wall 30 and the inner base end wall 29 are arranged parallel to each other, and the inner tip wall 30 is located on the non-opposing side of the inner base end wall 29. The outer peripheral edge 35 consists of an outer base wall 36 that is continuously provided on the outer box body 34, an outer tip wall 37 that is attached to the outer mounting portion 43, and an outer connecting wall 38 that connects the outer base wall 36 and the outer tip wall 37. The outer tip wall 37 and the outer base wall 36 are arranged parallel to each other, and the outer tip wall 37 is located on the non-opposing side of the outer base wall 36. When the inner and outer boxes 17 and 18 are connected by the connecting member 20, the joint surface 23 of each insulated box body 16 is formed by the inner and outer base walls 29 and 36 and the connecting member 20 arranged between these base walls 29 and 36.

[0010] The opposing surfaces of the connecting member 20 are located on the non-opposing side of the opposing surfaces of the inner base wall 29 and the outer base wall 36, which are arranged on the same plane. When the insulated boxes 16A and 16B are connected, a gap S is formed between the opposing connecting members 20, and a cushioning body 57 with a sealing function is interposed in the gap S. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As shown in the joint structure of the cooling cabinet body according to the present invention, when the insulated box bodies 16A and 16B that are arranged side by side are connected, the inner peripheral edge ends 27 and 27 that constitute the joint surfaces 23 and 23 of each other are in close contact with each other, and the outer peripheral edge ends 35 and 35 that constitute the joint surfaces 23 and 23 of each other are in close contact with each other. In this configuration, the airtightness of the joint J of the cooling cabinet body 2 can be ensured by the close contact of these inner and outer peripheral edge ends 27 and 35 without the need for a conventional packing. In addition, according to the joint structure of the present invention, the inner peripheral edge ends 27 and 27 are in close contact with each other on the cooling chamber 3 side, and the outer peripheral edge ends 35 and 35 are in close contact with each other on the outside of the cabinet. As a result, the connecting material 20 placed between the inner and outer peripheral edge ends 27 and 35 does not come into contact with the air cooled on the cooling chamber 3 side or with the outside air on the outside of the cabinet, thereby preventing heat conduction through the connecting material 20. Therefore, according to the present invention, the connecting material 20 acts as a heat conduction element, which reliably prevents condensation from occurring on the outside of the joint J of the cooler body 2. Furthermore, according to the present invention, at the joint J of the cooler body 2, it is possible to eliminate members (such as conventional gaskets) that are exposed to the air cooled on the cooling chamber 3 side and also exposed to the outside air on the outside of the cooler body. This also reliably prevents condensation from occurring on the outside of the joint J of the cooler body 2.

[0012] If the opposing surfaces of the inner peripheral edge ends 27 and the opposing surfaces of the outer peripheral edge ends 35 are arranged on the same plane, the shapes of the opposing joint surfaces 23,23 can be made the same for both insulated boxes 16A and 16B, thus suppressing the cost increase of the cooler body 2 due to having multiple types of joint surface shapes 23. Specifically, as an example, if the outer peripheral edge end 35 of one insulated box 16A is made to protrude in the opposite direction to the inner peripheral edge end 27, and the inner peripheral edge end 27 of the other insulated box 16B is made to protrude in the opposite direction to the outer peripheral edge end 35, and the inner peripheral edges 27,27 and outer peripheral edges 35,35 are brought into close contact, then there will be two types of joint surface shapes 23, and since the structure differs for each insulated box 16, it will lead to an increase in the cost of the cooler body 2.

[0013] In addition, if the opposing surfaces of the connecting members 20 are configured so as not to protrude in the opposing direction from the plane on which the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer peripheral edges 27 and 35 are located, it is possible to prevent the connecting members 20 from hitting each other first when connecting the insulated boxes 16A and 16B, and to ensure that the inner peripheral edges 27 and 27, and the outer peripheral edges 35 and 35, of the joining surfaces 23 and 23 are tightly joined together.

[0014] When the inner and outer boxes 17 and 18 are connected by the connecting member 20, if the joint surface 23 of each insulated box body 16 is formed by the inner base end wall 29 of the inner peripheral edge end 27 continuous with the inner box body 26, the outer base end wall 36 of the outer peripheral edge end 35 continuous with the outer box body 34, and the connecting member 20 positioned between these inner and outer base end walls 29 and 36, then the inner peripheral edge ends 27 and 27 can be brought into close contact with each other near the cooling chamber 3, and the outer peripheral edge ends 35 and 35 can be brought into close contact with each other near the outside of the box, thereby increasing the relative distance between the close contact areas inside and outside, and effectively preventing heat conduction from the inner box 17 to the outer box 18 via the connecting member 20. Therefore, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring on the outside of the box at the joint J of the cooling box body 2 due to the constituent members of the insulated box body 16. Furthermore, the inner peripheral edge end 27, which consists of three walls—the inner base wall 29, the inner tip wall 30, and the inner connecting wall 31—and the outer peripheral edge end 35, which consists of three walls—the outer base wall 36, the outer tip wall 37, and the outer connecting wall 38—can be formed relatively easily by bending. As a result, the above-mentioned joint surface 23 can be formed without complicating the structure of the insulated box 16, thereby reducing the cost increase of the cooling cabinet body 2.

[0015] The opposing surfaces of the connecting members 20 are located on the non-opposing side of the opposing surfaces of the inner base wall 29 and the outer base wall 36, which are arranged on the same plane. When the insulated box bodies 16A and 16B are connected, a gap S is formed between the opposing connecting members 20 and 20. If a cushion body 57 with a sealing function is interposed in this gap S, the cushion body 57 can seal the gap between the joint surfaces 23 and 23, thereby further improving the airtightness of the joint J of the cooling cabinet body 2. Note that the gap S does not communicate with the cooling chamber 3 or the outside of the cabinet, and no heat conduction occurs through the cushion body 57.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional plan view showing a main part of a joint structure of a refrigerator body according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 4. [Figure 2] It is a longitudinal side view showing a blast chiller to which the joint structure of the refrigerator body according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 3] It is a longitudinal front view of the blast chiller. [Figure 4] It is a longitudinal side view showing a state in which a heat insulation box body is connected. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing an inner box and an outer box. [Figure 6] It is a front view showing a communication port portion and a joint surface of the heat insulation box body. [Figure 7] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a connecting portion of the inner and outer boxes at the communication port portion. [Figure 8] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a connecting portion of the inner and outer boxes at the entrance / exit portion. [Figure 9] It is a longitudinal side view showing a state in which the heat insulation box body is separated.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] (Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 9 show an embodiment in which the joint structure of the refrigerator body according to the present invention is applied to a blast chiller which is a refrigerator. In the present embodiment, front-back, left-right, and up-down refer to the cross arrows shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, and the front-back, left-right, and up-down indications written in the vicinity of each arrow. The blast chiller 1 is a device that performs cooling processes such as rough heat removal, rapid cooling, or rapid freezing. As shown in FIG. 2, it includes a refrigerator body 2 serving as a base, and a cooler unit 4 installed in a cooling chamber (inside the refrigerator) 3 defined inside the refrigerator body 2.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the cooler unit 4 includes a unit case 9 that forms a duct 8 along the upper inner surface and the left and right inner surfaces of the cooling chamber 3, an evaporator 10 that cools the air in the cooling chamber 3, and a blower fan 11 that circulates the air in the cooling chamber 3 internally. The evaporator 10 is installed in the duct 8 along the left inner surface of the cooling chamber 3. A plurality of air inlets 12 are opened on the left side wall of the unit case 9 so as to face the evaporator 10, and the blower fan 11 is installed at each inlet 12. Further, a group of air outlets 13 are opened on the right side wall and the upper side wall of the unit case 9. When the blower fan 11 is driven, part of the air cooled by heat exchange in the evaporator 10 blows out from the air outlet 13 provided on the upper side wall of the unit case 9 through the duct 8, and blows out from the air outlet 13 provided on the right side wall and crosses the cooling chamber 3 from right to left. The air that has crossed the cooling chamber 3 is sucked again into the duct 8 from the inlet 12 and reaches the evaporator 10 for heat exchange. The evaporator 10 is cooled by a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant supplied from a condensing unit composed of a compressor, a condenser, etc. installed outdoors or the like.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator body 2 of the present embodiment is formed by connecting two heat insulation boxes 16 (16A and 16B) in the front-rear direction, and a joint J is formed between the two heat insulation boxes 16A and 16B. Each heat insulation box 16 has a communication port 21 opened on the front and rear surfaces facing each other when connected, and the two heat insulation boxes 16A and 16B are connected in a state where the communication ports 21 face each other. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the front heat insulation box 16A has an entrance / exit 22 opened on its front surface and a communication port 21 opened on its rear surface. The rear heat insulation box 16B has a communication port 21 opened on its front surface and an entrance / exit 22 opened on its rear surface. The opening edge of the communication port 21 is a joint surface 23 that is closely contacted when the heat insulation boxes 16A and 16B are connected in parallel in the front-rear direction, and the joint surfaces 23 and 23 facing each other constitute the joint J of the refrigerator body 2.

[0020] The entrances 22 of the front and rear insulated boxes 16A and 16B are opened and closed by swing-open doors 24, allowing objects to be cooled to be moved in and out of the cooling chamber 3 through the entrances 22. When the insulated boxes 16A and 16B are connected, the direction in which the joint surfaces 23 of each insulated box 16 face each other is defined as the opposing direction, and the opposing surfaces of the joint surfaces 23 are defined as the opposing surfaces. The direction directly opposite the opposing direction in the front-rear direction is defined as the non-opposing direction. In the case of insulated box 16A, the rear is the opposing direction, the front is the non-opposing direction, and the surface of the joint surface 23 facing backward is the opposing surface. In the case of insulated box 16B, the front is the opposing direction, the rear is the non-opposing direction, and the surface of the joint surface 23 facing forward is the opposing surface.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, each insulated box 16 (16A and 16B) is made by filling the space formed by a metal inner box 17 and an outer box 18 with insulating material 19, and the inner and outer boxes 17 and 18 are connected by a synthetic resin connecting member 20 provided between the two boxes 17 and 18. As shown in Figure 9, the front insulated box 16A and the rear insulated box 16B have different configurations at the front and rear, and the rear insulated box 16B (16) will be described in detail below. The rear insulated box 16B (16) will be referred to as "insulated box 16" as appropriate below.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, the inner box 17 is formed in the shape of a rectangular container with a front opening that includes a rear wall 26a, a left wall 26b, a right wall 26c, an upper wall 26d, and a lower wall 26e. It comprises an inner box body 26 that partitions the inner surface of the insulated box body 16, an inner peripheral edge end 27 that protrudes outward from the front edges of the left and right walls 26b and 26c and the upper and lower walls 26d and 26e and is located at the opening edge of the communication opening 21, and an entrance frame 28 that protrudes rearward from the edge of the opening 26f for the entrance 22 provided in the rear wall 26a. The entrance frame 28 consists of a rectangular frame with an L-shaped cross-section.

[0023] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the inner peripheral edge end 27 is composed of an inner base wall 29 that is continuously provided on the inner box body 26, an inner tip wall 30 provided on the protruding tip side thereof, and an inner connecting wall 31 that connects the inner base wall 29 and the inner tip wall 30. The inner connecting wall 31 is composed of an inclined wall that extends outward and rearward from the tip of the inner base wall 29, and the inner tip wall 30 and the inner base wall 29 are arranged parallel to each other, and the inner tip wall 30 is located on the non-opposing side, which is behind the inner base wall 29 (in the case of the front insulated box body 16A, it is on the front side, which is the non-opposing side).

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the outer box 18 is formed in the shape of a rectangular container with a front opening that includes a rear wall 34a, a left wall 34b, a right wall 34c, an upper wall 34d, and a lower wall 34e. It includes an outer box body 34 that partitions the outer surface of the insulated box body 16, and outer peripheral edge ends 35 that protrude inward from the front edges of the left and right walls 34b and 34c and the upper and lower walls 34d and 34e and are located at the opening edge of the communication opening 21. An opening 34f for the entrance / exit 22 is formed slightly to the right of the rear wall 34a.

[0025] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the outer peripheral edge 35 is composed of an outer base wall 36 provided continuously with the outer box body 34, an outer tip wall 37 provided on the protruding tip side thereof, and an outer connecting wall 38 connecting the outer base wall 36 and the outer tip wall 37. The outer connecting wall 38 is composed of an inclined wall extending inward and rearward from the tip of the outer base wall 36, the outer tip wall 37 and the outer base wall 36 are arranged parallel to each other, and the outer tip wall 37 is located on the non-opposing side, which is behind the outer base wall 36 (in the case of the front insulated box body 16A, it is on the front side, which is the non-opposing side).

[0026] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the connecting members 20 connect the two boxes 17 and 18 and also inhibit heat conduction between the inner box 17 and the outer box 18. They are provided between the inner peripheral edge end 27 and the outer peripheral edge end 35 facing the communication opening 21, and between the entrance frame 28 facing the entrance opening 22 and the rear wall 34a of the outer box. At each connecting section, the connecting member 20 is divided into four connecting members 20 corresponding to the four perimeters of both openings 21 and 22, respectively, on the top, bottom, left, and right. At the four corners where the divided connecting members 20 are adjacent to each other, the ends of the connecting members 20 are cut diagonally, and the cut portions are butted together so that the connecting members 20 are arranged in a square frame shape (see dashed lines in Figure 6).

[0027] As shown in Figure 7, each side of the connecting member 20 comprises a base portion 41 with a rectangular cross-section that fills the gap between the inner and outer boxes 17 and 18, an inner mounting portion 42 provided on the inner box 17 side of the base portion 41 to which the inner end wall 30 of the inner peripheral edge end 27 or the edge wall 28a of the entrance frame 28 is attached, and an outer mounting portion 43 provided on the outer box 18 side of the base portion 41 to which the outer end wall 37 of the outer peripheral edge end 35 or the edge of the rear wall 34a of the outer box body 34 is attached.

[0028] The internal mounting portion 42 is formed in a bifurcated shape with a first internal receiving wall 44 that receives the outer wall surface of the inner tip wall 30 of the inner peripheral edge end portion 27 or the outer wall surface of the edge wall 28a of the entrance frame 28, and a second internal receiving wall 45 that receives the inner wall surface of the inner tip wall 30 of the inner peripheral edge end portion 27 or the inner wall surface of the edge wall 28a of the entrance frame 28. An internal mounting groove 46 is formed between the two internal receiving walls 44 and 45, having a gap corresponding to the thickness of the inner tip wall 30 and the edge wall 28a. Similarly, the external mounting portion 43 is formed in a bifurcated shape with a first external receiving wall 47 that receives the outer wall surface of the outer tip wall 37 of the outer peripheral edge end portion 35 or the outer wall surface of the edge of the rear wall 34a of the outer box body 34, and a second external receiving wall 48 that receives the inner wall surface of the outer tip wall 37 of the outer peripheral edge end portion 35 or the inner wall surface of the edge of the rear wall 34a of the outer box body 34. An external mounting groove 49 is formed between the two external receiving walls 47 and 48, having a gap corresponding to the thickness of the outer tip wall 37 and the rear wall 34a.

[0029] In Figure 7, reference numeral 50 indicates a rib that reinforces the connecting member 20 protruding from the rear side of the base 41. The first inner receiving wall 44 and the first outer receiving wall 47 are provided so as to extend from the front end of the base 41 toward each box 17 and 18, and the second inner receiving wall 45 and the second outer receiving wall 48 are provided so as to extend from the rib 50 toward each box 17 and 18. The opposing surfaces of the connecting member 20 formed by the first inner receiving wall 44, the first outer receiving wall 47, and the base 41 are arranged flush, and the dimension from the opposing surface to the inner mounting groove 46 and the dimension from the opposing surface to the outer mounting groove 49 are set to be the same. In addition, the groove widths of the inner and outer mounting grooves 46 and 49 are set to be the same.

[0030] Based on the dimensional relationship of the inner and outer mounting grooves 46 and 49 as described above, as shown in Figure 8, the connecting member 20 provided in the entrance / exit section 22 connects the inner and outer boxes 17 and 18 to the entrance / exit frame 28 and the rear wall 34a, such that the outer wall surfaces of the edge wall 28a and the edge of the rear wall 34a are arranged on the same plane. Furthermore, the connecting member 20 provided in the entrance / exit section 22 has an inner mounting portion 42 (first inner receiving wall 44), an outer mounting portion 43 (first outer receiving wall 47), and a part of the base portion 41 that protrude outward (towards the rear) from the outer wall surfaces of the edge wall 28a and the edge of the rear wall 34a. In contrast, as shown in Figure 7, the connecting member 20 provided in the communication opening 21 connects the inner and outer boxes 17 and 18, with the inner base end wall 29 forming the opposing surface of the inner peripheral end 27 and the outer base end wall 36 forming the opposing surface of the outer peripheral end 35, such that their opposing surfaces (outer wall surfaces) are arranged on the same plane. Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the connecting member 20 provided in the communication opening 21 are configured to be on the same plane as the plane on which the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer peripheral end 27 and 35 (outer wall surfaces of the inner and outer base end walls 29 and 37) are arranged, or not to protrude in the opposite direction from that plane.

[0031] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the opposing surface of the connecting member 20 is located on the opposite side of the plane where the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer peripheral end portions 27 and 35 (the outer wall surfaces of the inner and outer base end walls 29 and 37) are located. The aforementioned joint surface 23 is composed of the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer peripheral end portions 27 and 35 and the opposing surface of the connecting member 20, and in the joint surface 23, the opposing surface of the connecting member 20 is positioned in a stepped manner relative to the opposing surfaces of the peripheral end portions 27 and 35.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the insulated boxes 16A and 16B, which are arranged side by side front to back, are connected with their joint surfaces 23, 23 in close contact to form the cooling chamber body 2, and the communication openings 21, 21 face each other to define one cooling chamber 3 inside the cooling chamber body 2. Each of the insulated boxes 16A and 16B has connecting brackets 55 fixed to the edge of the upper wall 34d of the outer box body 34 adjacent to the joint surface 23, and to the edges of the left and right walls 26b, 26c of the inner box body 34 adjacent to the joint surface 23. The two insulated boxes 16A and 16B are integrated by facing their respective joint surfaces 23, 23 towards each other and fastening and fixing their brackets 55, 55 with fasteners 56 consisting of hexagonal bolts and hexagonal nuts.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the joint surfaces 23,23 of the two insulated boxes 16A and 16B, which are integrated as the cooling cabinet body 2, that is, the joint structure of the cooling cabinet body in this embodiment, have inner peripheral edges 27,27 that make up the joint surfaces 23,23 that are in close contact with each other, and outer peripheral edges 35,35 that make up the joint surfaces 23,23 that are in close contact with each other. In addition, since the connecting member 20 is arranged in a stepped manner relative to the outer surfaces of the inner and outer base end walls 29,37, a gap S is formed between the two connecting members 20. As shown in Figure 9, when the two insulated boxes 16A and 16B are connected, a cushion body 57 made of elastically deformable foamed resin is placed in the part corresponding to the gap S, and when the two insulated boxes 16A and 16B are connected and the cooling cabinet body 2 is constructed, the cushion body 57 is interposed in the gap S in a compressed state in the thickness direction. The cushion body 57 functions as a sealing material for the joint surface 23, ensuring the airtightness of the connected front and rear insulated boxes 16A and 16B, and increasing the heat capacity of the connecting material 20 to further suppress heat conduction between the inner box 17 and the outer box 18. The two insulated boxes 16A and 16B can be connected with a thin layer of sealant applied between the closely adhering inner base walls 29 and 29, and between the closely adhering outer base walls 36 and 36. Even in this case, the sealant between the inner base walls 29 and 29, and the sealant between the outer base walls 36 and 36, are not continuous, and no heat conduction occurs through the sealant.

[0034] As described above, in the cooling cabinet body 2 of this embodiment, when the insulated boxes 16A and 16B are connected side by side, the inner peripheral edges 27 and 27 that constitute the joint surfaces 23 and 23 are in close contact with each other, and the outer peripheral edges 35 and 35 that constitute the joint surfaces 23 and 23 are in close contact with each other. Therefore, without the need for a conventional packing, the airtightness of the joint J of the cooling cabinet body 2 can be ensured by the close contact of these inner and outer peripheral edges 27 and 35. In addition, according to the joint structure of this embodiment, the inner peripheral edges 27 and 27 are in close contact with each other on the cooling chamber 3 side, and the outer peripheral edges 35 and 35 are in close contact with each other on the outside of the cabinet. Therefore, the connecting material 20 placed between the inner and outer peripheral edges 27 and 35 does not come into contact with the air cooled on the cooling chamber 3 side or with the outside air on the outside of the cabinet, thus preventing heat conduction through the connecting material 20. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the connecting material 20 acts as a heat conduction element, which reliably prevents condensation from occurring on the outside of the joint J of the cooler body 2. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, at the joint J of the cooler body 2, it is possible to eliminate components (such as conventional gaskets) that are exposed to the air cooled on the cooling chamber 3 side and also exposed to the outside air on the outside of the cooler body. This also reliably prevents condensation from occurring on the outside of the joint J of the cooler body 2.

[0035] Since the opposing surfaces of the inner peripheral edge ends 27 and the opposing surfaces of the outer peripheral edge ends 35 are arranged on the same plane, the shapes of the opposing joint surfaces 23,23 can be made the same for both insulated box bodies 16A and 16B, thus suppressing the cost increase of the cooler body 2 that would result from having multiple types of joint surface shapes 23. Specifically, for example, if the outer peripheral edge end 35 of one insulated box body 16A is made to protrude in the opposite direction to the inner peripheral edge end 27, and the inner peripheral edge end 27 of the other insulated box body 16B is made to protrude in the opposite direction to the outer peripheral edge end 35, and the inner peripheral edges 27,27 and outer peripheral edges 35,35 are brought into close contact, then there will be two types of joint surface shapes 23, and since the structure differs for each insulated box body 16, it will lead to an increase in the cost of the cooler body 2.

[0036] In addition, the opposing surfaces of the connecting members 20 are configured so as not to protrude in the opposing direction from the plane on which the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer peripheral edges 27 and 35 are located. This prevents the connecting members 20 from hitting each other first when connecting the insulated boxes 16A and 16B, ensuring that the inner peripheral edges 27 and 27, and the outer peripheral edges 35 and 35, of the joining surfaces 23 and 23 are securely and tightly joined together.

[0037] When the inner and outer boxes 17 and 18 are connected by the connecting member 20, the joint surface 23 of each insulated box body 16 is formed by the inner base end wall 29 of the inner peripheral edge end 27 continuous with the inner box body 26, the outer base end wall 36 of the outer peripheral edge end 35 continuous with the outer box body 34, and the connecting member 20 positioned between these inner and outer base end walls 29 and 36. This makes it possible to bring the inner peripheral edge ends 27 and 27 into close contact with each other near the cooling chamber 3, and to bring the outer peripheral edge ends 35 and 35 into close contact with each other near the outside of the cooler. This increases the relative distance between the close contact areas inside and outside, effectively preventing heat conduction from the inner box 17 to the outer box 18 via the connecting member 20. Therefore, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring on the outside of the cooler at the joint J of the cooler body 2 due to the constituent members of the insulated box body 16. Furthermore, the inner peripheral edge end 27, which consists of three walls—the inner base wall 29, the inner tip wall 30, and the inner connecting wall 31—and the outer peripheral edge end 35, which consists of three walls—the outer base wall 36, the outer tip wall 37, and the outer connecting wall 38—can be formed relatively easily by bending. As a result, the above-mentioned joint surface 23 can be formed without complicating the structure of the insulated box 16, thereby reducing the cost increase of the cooling cabinet body 2.

[0038] When the opposing surfaces of the connecting members 20 are positioned on the non-opposing side of the opposing surfaces of the inner base wall 29 and the outer base wall 36, which are arranged on the same plane, and the insulated box bodies 16A and 16B are connected, a gap S is formed between the opposing connecting members 20 and 20, and a cushion body 57 with a sealing function is interposed in the gap S, so that the gap between the joint surfaces 23 and 23 can be sealed by the cushion body 57. Therefore, the airtightness of the joint J of the cooling cabinet body 2 can be further improved by the cushion body 57. Note that the gap S does not communicate with the cooling chamber 3 or the outside of the cabinet, and no heat conduction occurs through the cushion body 57.

[0039] In addition to the above, the cooling cabinet body 2 can be formed by connecting three or more insulated boxes 16. In this case, the insulated boxes 16 at both the front and rear ends are provided with a communication opening 21 and a joint surface 23 on one of their front and rear sides, and an entrance / exit opening 22 on the other, while the remaining insulated boxes are provided with a communication opening 21 and a joint surface 23 on both their front and rear sides. The shape of the connecting member 20 is not limited to that of the above embodiment, and its configuration may also include, for example, a metal plate that attracts a magnetic gasket for the door 24. The outer surfaces of the inner and outer base end walls 29 and 36 are arranged on the same plane, but for example, the outer peripheral edge end 35 of one insulated box 16A may protrude in the opposite direction to the inner peripheral edge end 27, and the inner peripheral edge end 27 of the other insulated box 16B may protrude in the opposite direction to the outer peripheral edge end 35, so that the inner base end wall 29 and the outer base end wall 36 are arranged in a stepped manner at the joint J of the cooling cabinet body 2. In addition to rapid cooling cabinets, examples of coolers constructed using the joint structure of the present invention include commercial freezers, refrigerators, and cooler cabinets. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerator body 16 (16A / 16B) Insulated Box 17 Inner box 18 Outer box 19. Insulation 20 Connecting material 21 Communication port 23 Joint surface 26 Inner box body 27 Inner peripheral edge 29 Inner base end wall 30 Inner tip wall 31 Internal connecting wall 34. Outer box 35 Outer edge edge 36 Outer base end wall 37 Outer tip wall 38 External connecting wall 41 Base 42 Internal attachment part 43 External attachment part 57 Cushion body J joint

Claims

1. When constructing the main body (2) of the cooling chamber (1) by connecting insulated box bodies (16 (16A and 16B)) arranged in the front-to-back direction, the joint structure formed at the connecting portion of these two insulated box bodies (16A and 16B) is as follows: Each insulated box (16 (16A, 16B)) is formed in the shape of a rectangular box by filling the space formed by a metal inner box (17) and an outer box (18) with insulating material (19), and when connected, the front and rear surfaces that face each other have a communication opening (21) and a joint surface (23) formed therein. The inner box (17) has an inner box body (26) that partitions the inner surface of the insulated box body (16), and an inner peripheral edge end (27) that is formed to protrude outward from the edge of the inner box body (26) facing the communication opening (21) and is located at the opening edge of the communication opening (21). The outer box (18) has an outer box body (34) that partitions the outer surface of the insulated box body (16), and an outer peripheral edge end (35) that is formed to protrude inward from the edge of the outer box body (34) facing the communication opening (21) and is located at the opening edge of the communication opening (21). A connecting material (20) made of synthetic resin is placed between the inner peripheral edge end (27) and the outer peripheral edge end (35) to connect the two boxes (17 and 18). The joint surface (23) formed at the opening edge of the communication opening (21) of each insulated box body (16 (16A, 16B)) is composed of an inner peripheral edge end (27) continuous with the inner box body (26), an outer peripheral edge end (35) continuous with the outer box body (34), and a connecting member (20) positioned between these inner peripheral edge ends (27) and outer peripheral edge ends (35). When the two insulated box bodies (16A and 16B) are connected, the opposing joint surfaces (23 and 23) form the joint (J) of the cooling chamber body (2). A joint structure for a cooling cabinet body, characterized in that when two parallel insulated box bodies (16A and 16B) are connected, the inner peripheral edge ends (27 and 27) that constitute the joint surfaces (23 and 23) are in close contact with each other, and the outer peripheral edge ends (35 and 35) that constitute the joint surfaces (23 and 23) are in close contact with each other.

2. When the insulated box bodies (16A and 16B) are connected, the direction in which the joint surfaces (23) of each insulated box body (16) face each other is defined as the opposing direction, and the opposing surfaces of the joint surfaces (23) are defined as the opposing surfaces, and the direction directly opposite the said opposing direction in the front-rear direction is defined as the non-opposing direction, The joint structure for a cooling cabinet body according to claim 1, wherein the opposing surfaces of the inner peripheral edge end (27) and the opposing surfaces of the outer peripheral edge end (35) are arranged on the same plane, and the opposing surfaces of the connecting member (20) are configured so as not to protrude in the opposite direction from the said plane.

3. The connecting member (20) comprises a base (41) that fills the gap between the inner and outer peripheral edges (27 and 35), an inner mounting portion (42) provided on the inner box (17) side of the base (41) into which the inner peripheral edge (27) is inserted and attached, and an outer mounting portion (43) provided on the outer box (18) side of the base (41) into which the outer peripheral edge (35) is inserted and attached. The inner peripheral edge end (27) consists of an inner base end wall (29) that is continuously provided on the inner box body (26), an inner tip end wall (30) that is attached to the inner mounting part (42), and an inner connecting wall (31) that connects the inner base end wall (29) and the inner tip end wall (30). The inner tip wall (30) and the inner base wall (29) are arranged parallel to each other, and the inner tip wall (30) is located on the non-opposing side of the inner base wall (29). The outer peripheral edge (35) consists of an outer base end wall (36) that is continuously provided on the outer box body (34), an outer tip wall (37) that is attached to the outer mounting part (43), and an outer connecting wall (38) that connects the outer base end wall (36) and the outer tip wall (37). The outer tip wall (37) and the outer base wall (36) are arranged parallel to each other, and the outer tip wall (37) is located on the non-opposing side of the outer base wall (36). The joint structure for a cooling cabinet body according to claim 2, wherein when the inner and outer boxes (17 and 18) are connected by a connecting member (20), the joint surface (23) of each insulated box body (16) is formed by the inner and outer base end walls (29 and 36) and the connecting member (20) positioned between these base end walls (29 and 36).

4. The opposing surfaces of the connecting member (20) are located on the non-opposing side of the opposing surfaces of the inner base end wall (29) and the outer base end wall (36), which are arranged on the same plane. The joint structure for a cooling cabinet body according to claim 3, wherein when the insulated box bodies (16A and 16B) are connected, a gap (S) is formed between the opposing connecting members (20 and 20), and a cushioning body (57) having a sealing function is interposed in the gap (S).

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