Substrate housing and cooling storage

Abstract

This eliminates the need for waterproof tape application. [Solution] The substrate housing 100 is a front panel (exterior material) 32 that constitutes the exterior of the cooling storage unit (equipment) 10, and comprises a front panel 32 having a frame shape with an opening 52E and a substrate housing portion 52 in which an operating board (substrate) 50 is housed, a rear cover (cover) 56 attached to the substrate housing portion 52 and closing the opening 52E, and cover screws (fixing portions) 58 that fix the rear cover 56 to the front panel 32, the rear cover 56 having at least a side portion 56D and a sealing material 60 provided on the upper surface of the side portion 56D, and the substrate housing portion 52 is located above the side portion 56D and has a sealing receiving portion 61 arranged to sandwich the sealing material 60 between itself and the side portion 56D.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a substrate container and a cooling storage.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an example of a cooling storage provided with a front panel (substrate container), the one described in Patent Document 1 below is known. The cooling storage described in Patent Document 1 includes a machine room arranged on the side of the main body and a front panel. In the lower frame constituting the panel mounting frame of the machine room, there are provided insertion holes that open forward and extend left and right, and positioning holes provided below the insertion holes. When the mounting claws extending downward from the panel body are placed on the hole edge of the insertion hole, the front panel is arranged in either a temporary holding position where the positioning protrusion provided in front of the mounting claw is made non-insertable into the positioning hole or a mountable position where the positioning protrusion can be inserted into the positioning hole. The front panel is slidably displaceable from the temporary holding position to the mountable position while maintaining the temporary holding posture in the temporary holding position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The front panel of the cooling storage unit described in Patent Document 1 above is provided with a circuit board housing for housing a circuit board that allows the user to input operations and displays the operating status. A cover is attached to the circuit board housing from the rear. Furthermore, to prevent water used during cleaning, etc., from entering the inside through gaps in the front panel and seeping in through gaps between the circuit board housing and the cover (especially water flowing from above the circuit board housing), the unit is sealed with waterproof tape. However, applying the waterproof tape is time-consuming, and there is a problem that the sealing performance varies depending on the skill level of the worker. Moreover, when performing repairs such as replacing the circuit board, it is necessary to remove the waterproof tape, remove and reattach the cover, and then reapply the waterproof tape, which results in poor maintainability.

[0005] The technology described herein was developed based on the circumstances described above, and aims to eliminate the need for the application of waterproof tape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A substrate housing relating to the technology described herein is an exterior material constituting the exterior of a device, comprising: an exterior material having a frame shape with an opening and a substrate housing portion in which a substrate is housed; a cover attached to the substrate housing portion to close the opening; and a fixing portion for fixing the cover to the exterior material, wherein the cover has at least a side portion and a sealing material provided on the upper surface of the side portion, and the substrate housing portion has a sealing receiving portion located above the side portion and arranged to sandwich the sealing material between itself and the side portion.

[0007] (2) In addition to (1) above, the substrate housing is provided with a fixed portion on the exterior material to which the fixing portion is fixed, and the fixed portion may be arranged to sandwich the side portion and the sealing material between itself and the seal receiving portion.

[0008] (3) In addition to (2) above, the substrate housing may also be configured such that the sealing material is made of an elastically compressible elastic material, and the gap between the fixed portion and the sealing receiving portion may be smaller than the sum of the thickness of the side portion and the thickness of the sealing material in an uncompressed state.

[0009] (4) In addition to (2) or (3) above, the substrate housing may also have a sealing material made of an elastically compressible elastic material, and the fixed portion may be positioned at a distance from the side portion.

[0010] (5) In addition to any of (1) to (4) above, the substrate housing may also be configured such that the sealing material is made of an elastically compressible elastic material, and the gap between the sealing receiving portion and the side portion is smaller than the thickness of the sealing material in an uncompressed state.

[0011] (6) In addition to any of the above (1) to (5), the substrate housing may also have the seal receiving portion protruding beyond the cover.

[0012] (7) In addition to any of (1) to (6) above, the substrate housing also includes wiring, one end of which is connected to the substrate and the other end of which is led out to the outside of the substrate housing, the substrate housing is provided with a wiring insertion opening for passing the wiring through, the wiring extends parallel to the side and passes through the wiring insertion opening, the seal receiving portion has an extension that extends to the outside of the substrate housing, and the extension may cover the led-out portion of the wiring that is led out from the substrate housing.

[0013] (8) In addition to (7) above, the substrate housing may also have, in addition, an extension portion which is parallel to the side portion and a bent portion which is bent from the parallel portion so as it approaches the pull-out portion towards the tip of the extension.

[0014] (9) The cooling refrigerator related to the technology described in this specification includes the substrate container described in any one of (1) to (8) above, a cooler chamber and a machine chamber arranged on the back side of the substrate container, and a storage chamber arranged on the side of the substrate container, the cooler chamber, and the machine chamber.

Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the technology described in this specification, the construction of the waterproof tape can be made unnecessary.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the cooling refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Front sectional view of the cooling refrigerator [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view showing the front panel, operation substrate, wiring, rear cover, and electrical box provided in the cooling refrigerator [Figure 4] Exploded perspective view showing the substrate housing part, operation substrate, wiring, and rear cover constituting the substrate container provided in the cooling refrigerator [Figure 5] Rear view showing the state in which the operation substrate and wiring are housed in the substrate housing part [Figure 6] Rear view showing the state in which the rear cover is attached to the substrate housing part that houses the operation substrate and wiring [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view taken along line vii-vii of FIG. 6 in the substrate container [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view taken along line viii-viii of FIG. 6 in the substrate container [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view taken along line ix-ix of FIG. 6 in the substrate container [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view taken along line x-x of FIG. 7 in the substrate container [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 showing the state before attaching the rear cover to the substrate housing part that houses the operation substrate and wiring [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 8 showing the state before attaching the rear cover to the substrate housing part that houses the operation substrate and wiring [Figure 13]A cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 9 showing the state before attaching the rear cover to the substrate housing portion that houses the operation substrate and wiring [Figure 14] A cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 showing the state during the process of attaching the rear cover to the substrate housing portion that houses the operation substrate and wiring [Figure 15] A cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 8 showing the state during the process of attaching the rear cover to the substrate housing portion that houses the operation substrate and wiring [Figure 16] A cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 9 showing the state during the process of attaching the rear cover to the substrate housing portion that houses the operation substrate and wiring [Figure 17] A cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 10 showing the state during the process of attaching the rear cover to the substrate housing portion that houses the operation substrate and wiring

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] <Embodiment 1> Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. In this embodiment, the cooling refrigerator 10 will be exemplified. In a part of the drawings, the directions are indicated by the reference signs F, B, L, R, U, D, which respectively represent the front side (front side), the back side (rear side), the left side, the right side, the upper side, and the lower side when the cooling refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment is a two-door horizontal refrigerator (under-counter refrigerator), and includes a horizontally long refrigerator body 12, a pair of double-opening type opening and closing doors 14, and a top plate 16 arranged above the refrigerator body 12. The refrigerator body 12 includes a heat-insulating box body 20 that opens forward, and a center pillar 22 that is attached in a state of extending vertically in the center of the front opening of the heat-insulating box body 20. The pair of opening and closing doors 14 are heat-insulating doors filled with heat-insulating materials inside, and are configured to open and close the left and right openings of the center pillar 22 in the heat-insulating box body 20.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the insulated box 20 consists of an outer box 20A and an inner box 20B, which are made of stainless steel plates processed into a box shape, and an insulating material 20C that is foamed and filled between the outer box 20A and the inner box 20B. The interior of the insulated box 20 is mostly a storage chamber R1 for storing stored items. However, a partition panel 24 is placed on the left side of the interior of the insulated box 20, partitioning off a cooler chamber R2 to the left of the storage chamber R1. More specifically, the cooler chamber R2 is surrounded by the partition panel 24, a cooler box 26 which is a box with openings on the right and bottom sides, and a mortar-shaped drain pan 28 attached to the bottom of the cooler box 26, and is roughly partitioned off by these. The partition panel 24 is provided with an intake port 24A at its lower end for drawing air from the storage chamber R1 into the cooler chamber R2, and an outlet port 24B at its upper end for blowing air from the cooler chamber R2 into the storage chamber R1.

[0020] The storage unit body 12 also includes a plurality of panels assembled to the left of the insulated box body 20. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, these plurality of panels include a side panel 30, a floor panel 31, a front panel (exterior material) 32, etc., and the storage unit body 12 has a machine room R3 formed by these panels 30, 31, 32, the left side wall portion 20D of the insulated box body 20, and the top plate 16, etc. The side panel 30, floor panel 31, and front panel 32 all constitute the exterior of the cooling storage unit (equipment) 10.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the machine room R3 houses a cooling system 34 for cooling the storage room R1. The cooling system 34 consists of a compressor 38, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a cooler 42 housed in the cooler room R2. The compressor 38, condenser, and cooler 42 are connected to each other via refrigerant pipes 44, forming a refrigeration cycle that circulates the refrigerant.

[0022] The cooler room R2 houses a cooler 42 and a motor-driven circulation fan 46. This circulation fan 46 is positioned between the cooler 42 and the outlet 24B. During cooling operation, the circulation fan 46 draws air from the storage room R1 into the cooler room R2 through the intake port 24A. The cool air generated by heat exchange as it passes through the cooler 42 is then blown back into the storage room R1 through the outlet 24B. This circulates air between the storage room R1 and the cooler room R2, cooling the storage room R1.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the front of the machine room R3 is covered by a front panel 32. The front panel 32 is a shallow, box-shaped structure that is vertically elongated overall and has an opening on the side facing the machine room R3. The front panel 32 is a single molded product made of synthetic resin material. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the front panel 32 has a front panel body 32A and four peripheral walls 32B that protrude from the outer edge of the front panel body 32A toward the rear (back side). The front panel body 32A is provided with a plurality of vents 32A1, 32A2 for taking in outside air and dissipating heat. The front panel 32 houses an operation board (circuit board) 50 for operating the cooling device 34 and other equipment inside the machine room R3. The operation board 50 is a horizontally elongated plate and is equipped with buttons (operation input section) that allow for operation input and a display section that displays information such as the internal temperature. One end of the wiring 52 is connected to the operation board 50. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the machine room R3 houses an electrical control box 36 in addition to the cooling device 34 described above.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the front panel 32 is provided with a board housing section 52 in which the control board 50 is housed. The front panel 32 having the board housing section 52 constitutes a part of the board housing body 100. The board housing section 52 has four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61 that rise from the front panel body 32A toward the rear, and as a whole it forms a horizontally elongated frame shape. Of the four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61, the vertically elongated side wall 52A located on the left side in Figures 4 and 5 is formed by a part of the peripheral wall 32B of the front panel 32. The rising ends of the four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61 of the board housing section 52 form an opening 52E that opens toward the rear, and all of these are located behind the control board 50. Of the four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61 that constitute the circuit board housing section 52, the horizontally elongated side wall 61 located on the upper side in Figures 4 and 5 has a rise dimension (dimension in the front-to-back direction) from the front panel body 32A that is approximately the same as that of side wall 52A. Of the four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61 that constitute the circuit board housing section 52, the vertically elongated side wall 52B located on the right side in Figures 4 and 5, and the horizontally elongated side wall 52D located on the lower side in Figures 4 and 5, have a rise dimension from the front panel body 32A that is approximately the same and smaller than that of side walls 52A and 61. Of the four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61 that constitute the circuit board housing section 52, the side wall 52A located on the left side in Figures 4 and 5, and the side wall 61 located on the upper side, have the largest rise dimension from the front panel body 32A. In Figure 5, a horizontally elongated reinforcing rib 52C is provided at a position below the upper side wall 61, with a gap between them, and extending horizontally in the direction parallel to the side wall 61. The ends of the reinforcing rib 52C are connected to the left and right side walls 52A and 52B, which constitute the substrate housing section 52, respectively. On the inner surfaces of the three side walls 52A, 52B, and 52D and the reinforcing rib 52C, ribs 52A1, 52B1, 52C1, and 52D1 are provided, respectively, extending in the front-to-back direction. Each rib 52A1 to 52D1 has the function of reinforcing each side wall 52A, 52B, 52D and the reinforcing rib 52C, a guiding function to which the outer edge of the operating board 50 slides when the operating board 50 is housed, and a positioning function to position the housed operating board 50.Furthermore, the multiple ventilation openings 32A1 and 32A2 provided in the front panel body 32A include an upper ventilation opening 32A1 positioned above the substrate housing 52 and a lower ventilation opening 32A2 positioned below the substrate housing 52, as shown in Figure 3.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the portion of the front panel body 32A connected to the four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61 constitutes the front wall 52F of the substrate housing section 52. The front wall 52F faces the operating board 50. The front wall 52F is reinforced by the reinforcing rib 52C described above. The front wall 52F is provided with substrate bosses 52F1 that rise towards the rear to receive the housing operating board 50. The substrate bosses 52F1 are cylindrical in shape, and a screw hole 52F1A is provided at their center, into which a substrate screw 55 can be tightened. Two substrate bosses 52F1 are positioned to face the two upper corners of the operating board 50. The two substrate bosses 52F1 are connected to the reinforcing rib 52C. Substrate screws 55 for fixing the operating board 50 are attached to each of the two substrate bosses 52F1. The four corners of the control board 50 each have screw insertion holes 50A formed through them for passing board screws 55. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the front wall 52F is provided with multiple openings 52F2, allowing the display section of the control board 50 to be visible from the front through these openings. A sheet 53 is attached to the front of the front wall 52F, and a front cover 54 is attached to the front of the sheet 53 to hold it in place. Additionally, as shown in Figure 9, a recess 52D1A is provided in the rib 52D1 on the lower side wall 52D to receive the control board 50, and the edge of the recess 52D1A prevents the control board 50 from coming loose.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the circuit board housing section 52 houses the control board 50 along with a portion of the wiring 51 connected to the control board 50. Of the four side walls 52A, 52B, 52D, and 61 that make up the circuit board housing section 52, the vertically elongated side wall 52B located on the right side in Figures 4 and 5 is provided with a wiring insertion opening 52B2 for passing the wiring 51 through. The wiring insertion opening 52B2 is provided by cutting out the side wall 52B so as to open toward the rear. The wiring 51 is routed within the circuit board housing section 52 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) (parallel to the side portion 56D described later), and is pulled out to the outside of the circuit board housing section 52 through the wiring insertion opening 52B2, with the other end being connected to, for example, an electrical box 36 (see Figure 3). Of the wiring 51, the portion that extends out from the circuit board housing 52 includes a portion that extends along the left-right direction, similar to the portion inside the circuit board housing 52, and a portion that extends along the up-down direction (vertical direction), and is bent midway so that it forms a roughly L-shape overall.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, a rear cover (cover) 56 that closes the opening 52E is attached to the substrate housing section 52 from the rear. The rear cover 56, together with the front panel 32, constitutes part of the substrate housing 100. The rear cover 56 is generally box-shaped with an opening towards the front. The rear cover 56 has a cover body 56A that faces the operation board 50, and four side portions 56B to 56E that protrude forward from the outer edge of the cover body 56A. The cover body 56A is positioned at a distance from the rear of the operation board 50. The four side portions 56B to 56E as a whole form a horizontally elongated frame shape. Of the four side sections 56B to 56E, the vertically elongated side section 56B on the left side in Figures 4 and 6 is positioned inward relative to the left side wall 52A, while the vertically elongated side section 56C on the right side in Figures 4 and 6, and the horizontally elongated side section 56E at the bottom of Figures 4 and 6 are positioned outward relative to the right side wall 52B and the lower side wall 52D, respectively. The outer surface of side section 56B is in contact with the inner surface of side section 52A, while the inner surfaces of side sections 56C and 56E are in contact with the outer surfaces of side sections 52B and 52D, respectively. Of the four side sections 56B to 56E, the horizontally elongated upper side section 56D in Figures 4 and 6 is positioned inward (downward) with a gap relative to the upper side wall 61 (see Figure 5), as shown in Figure 10. Side section 56D is not in contact with the side wall 61.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, the front wall 52F of the substrate housing 52 is provided with cover bosses (fixed parts) 57 for receiving the rear cover 56, which rise toward the rear. The rise dimension of the cover bosses 57 from the front wall 52F is larger than the rise dimension of the reinforcing rib 52C, and is approximately the same as the rise dimension of the right side wall 52B and the lower side wall 52D in Figures 4 and 5. The cover bosses 57 are cylindrical in shape, and a screw hole 57A is provided at its center, into which a cover screw (fixing part) 58 can be tightened. The cover screw 58 is for fixing the rear cover 56 to the substrate housing 52, and together with the front panel 32 and the rear cover 56, it constitutes part of the substrate housing 100. Two cover bosses 57 are arranged at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction. The two cover bosses 57 are connected to the reinforcing rib 52C, respectively. The cover boss 57 is positioned between the reinforcing rib 52C and the upper side portion 56D that constitutes the rear cover 56. The cover boss 57 is positioned below the upper side wall 61 that constitutes the substrate housing portion 52. As shown in Figure 10, the right side wall 52B that constitutes the substrate housing portion 52 extends upward, and this extended portion, the extended side wall 52B3, is connected to the right cover boss 57. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the extended side wall 52B3 is provided with a groove 52B3A for receiving the upper side portion 56D that constitutes the rear cover 56. The cover body 56A of the rear cover 56 has a screw insertion hole 56A1 formed through it for passing the cover screw 58. The cover screw 58 is tightened through the screw insertion hole 56A1 into the screw hole 57A of the cover boss 57, thereby fixing the rear cover 56 to the substrate housing portion 52. Furthermore, the front surface of the cover body 56A is in contact with the respective raised ends of the two cover bosses 57 and the respective raised ends of the right side wall 52B and the lower side wall 52D that constitute the substrate housing 52.

[0029] As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 9, the lower side wall 52D of the substrate housing section 52 is provided with a locking portion 52D2 for holding the rear cover 56. The locking portion 52D2 is provided projecting downward from the outer surface (bottom surface) of the lower side wall 52D. Two locking portions 52D2 are arranged at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 9, the lower side portion 56E of the rear cover 56 is provided with a locking hole 56E1 through which the locking portion 52D2 passes. The locking hole 56E1 is located at the rear end (cover body 56A side) of the lower side portion 56E in the front-rear direction and opens along the vertical direction. Two locking holes 56E1 are arranged at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction on the lower side portion 56E. As the rear cover 56 is installed, the lower side portion 56E is fitted over the lower side wall 52D, causing the locking portion 52D2 to pass through the locking hole 56E1 and to engage with the edge of the locking hole 56E1. This holds the rear cover 56 in place so that it does not fall off the circuit board housing portion 52.

[0030] As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, a sealing material 60 for sealing the substrate housing 52 is provided on the upper surface (outer surface) of the upper side portion 56D that constitutes the rear cover 56. The sealing material 60 is made of an elastic material that can be elastically compressed. Specifically, the sealing material 60 is made of a rubber sponge material that uses synthetic rubber as its main component, such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber sponge, and has excellent waterproofing, heat resistance, and weather resistance. The sealing material 60 is attached to the upper surface (outer surface) of the upper side portion 56D, for example, via double-sided tape. The sealing material 60 covers almost the entire upper surface of the upper side portion 56D and has a size that extends beyond the side portion 56D to the right in Figures 4 and 6.

[0031] The upper side wall 61 constituting the substrate housing section 52 constitutes a seal receiving section 61 for receiving the sealant 60, as shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7. The seal receiving section 61 is positioned at a distance above the cover boss 57 and is provided to rise from the front wall 52F toward the rear. The seal receiving section 61 protrudes further rearward than the side walls 52B, 52D, reinforcing rib 52C, and cover boss 57 constituting the substrate housing section 52, and the position of its rising tip is approximately the same as the position of the rising tip on the left side wall 52A in Figures 4 and 6. The seal receiving section 61 is a horizontally elongated flat plate extending in the left-right direction, and is positioned above the upper side portion 56D constituting the rear cover 56 at a distance and opposite to the side portion 56D. The seal receiving section 61 is positioned with the sealant 60 sandwiched between it and the upper side portion 56D constituting the rear cover 56.

[0032] With this configuration, when the rear cover 56 is fixed to the front panel 32 by the cover screws 58, the sealing material 60 provided on the upper surface of the side portion 56D of the rear cover 56 is sandwiched between the side portion 56D and the sealing receiving portion 61, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10, and thus adheres tightly to the side portion 56D and the sealing receiving portion 61. Therefore, even if water used during cleaning or the like is poured onto the substrate housing portion 52 from the upper outside through the upper ventilation opening 32A1 of the front panel 32, the sealing material 60 can suppress water from entering the substrate housing portion 52. In particular, in this embodiment, the substrate housing portion 52 is integrally molded with the front panel 32, and apart from the wiring insertion opening 52B and the groove portion 52B3A, the only entry point for water into the substrate housing portion 52 is the opening 52E. This opening 52E is closed by the rear cover 56, and the sealant 60 is interposed between the upper side portion 56D and the seal receiving portion 61 to seal the gap, making it difficult for water flowing from above the seal receiving portion 61 to penetrate the opening 52E. Moreover, since the lower side portion 56E of the rear cover 56 is located below the lower side wall 52D of the substrate housing portion 52, even if water flows from above onto the lower side portion 56E via the surface of the side portion 56A, it is difficult for that water to flow down the lower side portion 56E and penetrate the opening 52E. In this way, by installing the rear cover 56, sealing can be achieved with the sealant 60, which reduces the working time compared to the conventional method of applying waterproof tape, and ensures consistent sealing performance regardless of the worker's skill level. Furthermore, when performing repairs such as replacing the control board 50, only the rear cover 56 needs to be removed and reattached, eliminating the need for the conventional work of peeling off and reapplying waterproof tape, thus improving maintainability.

[0033] As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10, the gap D1 between the seal receiving portion 61 and the side portion 56D is smaller than the thickness T1 of the seal material 60 in its uncompressed state (see Figures 11 and 12). In this way, when the rear cover 56 is fixed to the front panel 32 by the cover screws 58, the seal material 60 is elastically compressed between the side portion 56D and the seal receiving portion 61. The compressed seal material 60 adheres well to the side portion 56D and the seal receiving portion 61, thus achieving high sealing performance. Moreover, the seal receiving portion 61 is positioned to rise from the front panel body 32A toward the rear and protrude beyond the rear cover 56. In this way, even if water or the like is poured onto the seal receiving portion 61 from above (opposite side of the side portion 56D), the protrusion of the seal receiving portion 61 beyond the rear cover 56 makes it difficult for the water or the like to directly come into contact with the seal material 60. This also results in high sealing performance.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10, the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 are sandwiched between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57. With this arrangement, when attaching the rear cover 56 to the substrate housing portion 52, the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 can be placed in the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57 to guide the attachment process. Furthermore, the rear cover 56 can be temporarily held in place by bringing the side portion 56D, which is placed in the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57, into contact with the cover boss 57. As a result, the workability when attaching the rear cover 56 can be improved.

[0035] Furthermore, the spacing D2 between the cover boss 57 and the seal receiving portion 61 is arranged to be smaller than the sum of the thickness T2 of the side portion 56D and the thickness T1 of the seal material 60 in its uncompressed state (see Figures 11 and 12), as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10. With this arrangement, when the side portion 56D and the seal material 60 are placed in the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57, the seal material 60 is elastically compressed. The elastic force of the seal material 60 elastically maintains the side portion 56D in contact with the cover boss 57. This stabilizes the temporary holding state of the rear cover 56.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10, the cover boss 57 is positioned with a gap D3 between it and the side portion 56D. In this way, when the rear cover 56 is fixed to the front panel 32 by the cover screws 58, the side portion 56D is positioned with a gap between it and the cover boss 57, and is not in contact with the cover boss 57. In this state, the amount of compression of the sealing material 60 is greater than when the side portion 56D is in contact with the cover boss 57, resulting in high sealing performance. On the other hand, before the rear cover 56 is fixed with the cover screws 58, the side portion 56D is in contact with the cover boss 57 due to the elastic force of the sealing material 60 (see Figures 14 to 16). The amount of compression of the sealing material 60 in this state is less than the amount of compression of the sealing material 60 when it is fixed with the cover screws 58. Therefore, the frictional force generated when inserting the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 into the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57 can be reduced. This improves the workability when installing the rear cover 56.

[0037] As shown in Figures 5 and 10, the seal receiving portion 61 extends to the outside of the substrate housing portion 52 (to the right of the right side wall 52B) at its right end in Figures 5 and 10. Hereafter, the portion of the seal receiving portion 61 that extends to the right of the right side wall 52B in Figures 5 and 10 will be referred to as the extension portion 62. This extension portion 62 is positioned to cover the lead-out portion 51A of the wiring 51 that is pulled out from the substrate housing portion 52 from above. In this way, the extension portion 62 of the seal receiving portion 61 covers the lead-out portion 51A of the wiring 51 that is pulled out from the substrate housing portion 52 from above, making it difficult for water, etc., to directly come into contact with the lead-out portion 51A. As a result, it is difficult for water, etc., to travel along the lead-out portion 51A and enter the substrate housing portion 52, eliminating the need to apply waterproof tape to the wiring 51 near the wiring insertion opening 52B2.

[0038] As shown in Figures 5 and 10, the extension 62 has a parallel section 62A that runs parallel to the side section 56D, and a bent section 62B that is bent from the parallel section 62A so that it approaches the pull-out section 51A as it approaches the extension tip. The parallel section 62A is in a straight line with the main body section (the part other than the extension 62) of the seal receiving section 61. The bent section 62B is bent at an obtuse angle with respect to the parallel section 62A and extends along an oblique direction that is inclined in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The bent section 62B is provided such that the distance between it and the pull-out section 51A of the wiring 51 gradually decreases as it approaches the extension tip from the parallel section 62A, starting from the extension base end connected to the parallel section 62A. In this way, because the extension 62 has a parallel section 62A and a bent section 62B, water and other liquids are less likely to come into contact with the pull-out section 51A of the wiring 51. Furthermore, the front panel body 32A is provided with a reinforcing rib 63 that extends toward the rear, connected to the right side wall 52B of the substrate housing section 52 as shown in Figures 5 and 10. The reinforcing rib 63 extends in the left-right direction parallel to the parallel section 62A, and its position in the vertical direction is approximately the same as that of the reinforcing rib 52C located within the substrate housing section 52. The extended tip of the bent section 62B of the extension section 62 is connected to the reinforcing rib 63. This reinforcing rib 63 provides reinforcement to the extension section 62.

[0039] The structure of this embodiment is as described above, and the assembly procedure for the substrate housing 100 will now be explained. First, as shown in Figures 11 to 13, the operating board 50 is housed in the substrate housing section 52 of the front panel 32 from the rear through the opening 52E. During this process, the outer edge of the operating board 50 slides against the ribs 52A1 to 52D1 provided on each side wall 52A, 52B, 52D and the reinforcing rib 52C, guiding the housing operation. The housed operating board 50 is supported by the substrate boss 52F1 and, by entering the recess 52D1A in the lower rib 52D1, is temporarily held in place by the edge of the rib 52D1 to prevent it from coming loose. The operating board 50 can be fixed in the mounted state by passing a substrate screw 55 through the screw insertion hole 50A of the housed operating board 50 and tightening the passed substrate screw 55 into the screw hole 52F1A of the substrate boss 52F1. One end of the wiring 51 is connected to the fixed control board 50. The other end of the wiring 51 is pulled out so that it is located outside the board housing 52 by passing it through the wiring insertion opening 52B2 in the side wall 52B. Note that the connection of the wiring 51 to the control board 50 can also be performed before the control board 50 is housed in the board housing 52.

[0040] After assembling the control board 50 and wiring 51 as described above, the rear cover 56 is attached to the board housing 52 from the rear, starting from the state shown in Figures 11 to 13. A sealing material 60 is pre-attached to the outer surface of the upper side portion 56D of the rear cover 56. Each side portion 56B and 56D of the rear cover 56 is placed inside the respective side walls 52A and 61, and each side portion 56C and 56E is placed outside the respective side walls 52B and 52D. At this time, the upper side portion 56D, together with the sealing material 60 attached to its upper surface, is placed in the space between the cover boss 57 and the seal receiving portion 61. The sealing material 60, which was in an uncompressed state, is elastically compressed when it enters this space, as it is pressed from above by the seal receiving portion 61, which is the upper side wall 61. At this time, the amount of compression of the seal material 60 is "T1-(D2-T2)", where "T1" is the thickness of the seal material 60 in its uncompressed state, "D2" is the distance between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57, and "T2" is the thickness of the side portion 56D. The compressed seal material 60 exerts an elastic force on the side portion 56D and the seal receiving portion 61. This elastic force keeps the side portion 56D in contact with the cover boss 57, as shown in Figures 14, 15, and 17. Therefore, even if the worker releases their hand from the rear cover 56 during installation, the elastic force of the seal material 60 can keep the rear cover 56 in a temporarily held state. In this state, the screw insertion hole 56A1 of the cover body 56A is misaligned with the screw hole 57A of the cover boss 57. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, the lower side portion 56E is positioned to be separated outward from the lower side wall 52D, and the locking portion 52D2 is positioned slightly inside the locking hole 56E1.

[0041] As shown in Figures 14, 15, and 17, once the rear cover 56 is assembled to a depth where the front surface of the cover body 56A contacts the cover boss 57 and the leading edges of each side wall 52B, 52D, the rear cover 56 is slid upward to align the screw insertion hole 56A1 of the cover body 56A with the screw hole 57A of the cover boss 57. In this state, the cover screw 57 is passed through the screw insertion hole 56A1 and tightened into the screw hole 57A of the cover boss 57, thereby fixing the rear cover 56 in the installed state as shown in Figures 7 to 10. Furthermore, the lower side portion 56E is in contact with the outer surface of the lower side wall 52D, and the locking portion 52D2 is deeply inserted into the locking hole 56E1, so that the locking portion 52D2 is firmly locked against the edge of the locking hole 56E1. The opening 52E of the circuit board housing section 52 is closed by the rear cover 56.

[0042] When fixing the rear cover 56, if the rear cover 56 is slid upward from the temporary holding state shown in Figures 14, 15, and 17, the side portion 56D separates from the cover boss 57, and the amount of compression of the seal material 60 increases. The amount of compression of the seal material 60 at this time is "T1-D1", where "T1" is the thickness of the seal material 60 in the uncompressed state and "D1" is the distance between the seal receiving portion 61 and the side portion 56D. Furthermore, if "D2" is the distance between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57, "T2" is the thickness of the side portion 56D, and "D3" is the distance between the side portion 56D and the cover boss 57, then "D1=D2-T2-D3". Therefore, when the rear cover 56 is fixed by the cover screws 57, the amount of compression of the sealing material 60 is greater than that of the temporary holding state shown in Figures 14, 15, and 17, by the amount of the gap D3 between the side portion 56D and the cover boss 57. Consequently, higher sealing performance can be obtained compared to when the rear cover 56 is fixed in the temporary holding state (when the side portion 56D is in contact with the cover boss 57). On the other hand, in the temporary holding state, the amount of compression of the sealing material 60 is less than that of the fixed rear cover 56, by the amount of the gap D3 between the side portion 56D and the cover boss 57. Consequently, when assembling the rear cover 56, the frictional force generated when inserting the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 into the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57 can be reduced. This improves the workability when installing the rear cover 56.

[0043] As described above, the substrate housing 100 of this embodiment is a front panel (exterior material) 32 that constitutes the exterior of the cooling storage unit (equipment) 10, and comprises a front panel 32 having a frame shape with an opening 52E and a substrate housing portion 52 in which an operating board (substrate) 50 is housed, a rear cover (cover) 56 attached to the substrate housing portion 52 and closing the opening 52E, and cover screws (fixing portions) 58 that fix the rear cover 56 to the front panel 32, the rear cover 56 having at least a side portion 56D and a sealing material 60 provided on the upper surface of the side portion 56D, and the substrate housing portion 52 is located above the side portion 56D and has a sealing receiving portion 61 arranged to sandwich the sealing material 60 between itself and the side portion 56D.

[0044] The control board 50 is housed in a frame-shaped board housing section 52 through an opening 52E. When the rear cover 56 is attached to the board housing section 52 in which the control board 50 is housed, the opening 52E is closed by the rear cover 56. When the rear cover 56 is fixed to the front panel 32 by cover screws 58, the sealing material 60 provided on the upper surface of the side portion 56D of the rear cover 56 is sandwiched between the side portion 56D and the sealing receiving portion 61, thereby making tight contact with the side portion 56D and the sealing receiving portion 61. This prevents water from entering the board housing section 52 from above. In this way, by performing the installation work of the rear cover 56, sealing can be achieved with the sealing material 60, which reduces the work time compared to the conventional method of applying waterproof tape, and ensures consistent sealing performance regardless of the worker's skill level. Furthermore, when performing repairs such as replacing the control board 50, only the rear cover 56 needs to be removed and reattached, eliminating the need for the conventional work of peeling off and reapplying waterproof tape, thus improving maintainability.

[0045] Furthermore, the front panel 32 is provided with cover bosses (fixed parts) 57 to which cover screws 58 are fixed. The cover bosses 57 are positioned so as to sandwich the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 between them and the seal receiving portion 61. Once the rear cover 56 is attached to the circuit board housing portion 52, the rear cover 56 can be fixed to the front panel 32 by fixing the cover screws 58 to the cover bosses 57. When attaching the rear cover 56, the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 can be placed in the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover bosses 57 to guide the attachment process. Moreover, the rear cover 56 can be temporarily held in place by bringing the side portion 56D, which is placed in the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover bosses 57, into contact with the cover bosses 57. As a result, the ease of attachment of the rear cover 56 can be improved.

[0046] Furthermore, the sealing material 60 is made of an elastic material that can be elastically compressed, and the gap D2 between the cover boss 57 and the seal receiving portion 61 is smaller than the sum of the thickness T2 of the side portion 56D and the thickness T1 of the sealing material 60 in its uncompressed state. When the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 are placed in the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57, the sealing material 60 is elastically compressed. The elastic force of the sealing material 60 elastically maintains the side portion 56D in contact with the cover boss 57. This stabilizes the temporary holding state of the rear cover 56.

[0047] Furthermore, the sealing material 60 is made of an elastic material that can be elastically compressed, and the cover boss 57 is positioned with a gap D3 between it and the side portion 56D. When the rear cover 56 is fixed to the front panel 32 by the cover screws 58, the side portion 56D is positioned with a gap between it and the cover boss 57, and is not in contact with the cover boss 57. In this state, the amount of compression of the sealing material 60 is greater than when the side portion 56D is in contact with the cover boss 57, so high sealing performance can be obtained. On the other hand, before the rear cover 56 is fixed by the cover screws 58, the side portion 56D is in contact with the cover boss 57 due to the elastic force of the sealing material 60. The amount of compression of the sealing material 60 in this state is less than the amount of compression of the sealing material 60 when it is fixed by the cover screws 58. Therefore, the frictional force generated when inserting the side portion 56D and the sealing material 60 into the space between the seal receiving portion 61 and the cover boss 57 can be reduced. This improves the workability when installing the rear cover 56.

[0048] Furthermore, the sealing material 60 is made of an elastic material that can be elastically compressed, and the gap D1 between the sealing receiving portion 61 and the side portion 56D is smaller than the thickness T1 of the sealing material 60 in its uncompressed state. When the rear cover 56 is fixed to the front panel 32 by the cover screws 58, the sealing material 60 is elastically compressed between the side portion 56D and the sealing receiving portion 61. The compressed sealing material 60 adheres well to the side portion 56D and the sealing receiving portion 61, so high sealing performance can be obtained.

[0049] Furthermore, the seal receiving portion 61 is positioned to protrude beyond the rear cover 56. Even if water or other liquids are poured onto the seal receiving portion 61 from above, the protrusion of the seal receiving portion 61 beyond the rear cover 56 makes it difficult for the water or liquids to directly come into contact with the seal material 60. This results in high sealing performance.

[0050] Furthermore, the circuit board housing 52 is provided with a wiring 51, one end of which is connected to the control board 50 and the other end of which is led out to the outside of the circuit board housing 52. The circuit board housing 52 is provided with a wiring insertion opening 52B2 for passing the wiring 51 through, and the wiring 51 extends parallel to the side portion 56D and passes through the wiring insertion opening 52B2. The seal receiving portion 61 has an extension portion 62 that extends to the outside of the circuit board housing 52, and the extension portion 62 covers the led-out portion 51A of the wiring 51 that is led out from the circuit board housing 52. One end of the wiring 51 is connected to the control board 50 inside the circuit board housing 52, and the other end is led out to the outside through the wiring insertion opening 52B2 of the circuit board housing 52. The extension portion 62 of the seal receiving portion 61 covers the led-out portion 51A of the wiring 51 that is led out from the circuit board housing 52, so that water and the like are less likely to come into direct contact with the led-out portion 51A. This makes it difficult for water, etc., to enter the circuit board housing section 52 via the pull-out section 51A, thus eliminating the need to apply waterproof tape to the wiring 51 near the wiring insertion opening 52B2.

[0051] Furthermore, the extension 62 has a parallel section 62A that runs parallel to the side section 56D, and a bent section 62B that is bent from the parallel section 62A so that it gets closer to the pull-out section 51A as it approaches the tip of the extension. Because the extension 62 has a parallel section 62A and a bent section 62B, water and other liquids are less likely to come into contact with the pull-out section 51A of the wiring 51.

[0052] Furthermore, the cooling storage unit 10 according to this embodiment comprises the substrate housing 100 described above, a cooler chamber R2 and a machine chamber R3 located on the rear side of the substrate housing 100, and a storage chamber R1 located to the side of the substrate housing 100, the cooler chamber R2 and the machine chamber R3. With a cooling storage unit 10 configured in this way, the application of waterproof tape is unnecessary when manufacturing the substrate housing 100, thus improving production efficiency and maintainability.

[0053] <Other Embodiments> The technology disclosed herein is not limited to the embodiments described above in the description and drawings, but also includes, for example, the following embodiments.

[0054] (1) The specific material used for the sealing material 60 does not have to be rubber sponge material; for example, it may be a non-rubber sponge material such as foamed urethane.

[0055] (2) The gap D2 between the cover boss 57 and the seal receiving portion 61 may be equal to or greater than the sum of the thickness T2 of the side portion 56D and the thickness T1 of the seal material 60 in an uncompressed state.

[0056] (3) The rear cover 56 may be fixed in place in a configuration where there is no gap D3 between the cover boss 57 and the side portion 56D (a configuration in which the cover boss 57 and the side portion 56D are in contact).

[0057] (4) The specific shape of the bent portion 62B of the extension portion 62 provided on the seal receiving portion 61 can be changed as appropriate in addition to the shown shape. For example, the bent portion 62B may be bent almost perpendicular to the parallel portion 62A and have a shape that is almost straight along the vertical direction. Also, the cross-sectional shape of the bent portion 62B may be a non-linear shape (arc shape, curved shape, etc.).

[0058] (5) The extension portion 62 provided on the seal receiving portion 61 may be composed solely of the bent portion 62B.

[0059] (6) It is also possible to omit the extension portion 62 from the seal receiving portion 61.

[0060] (7) The number of cover screws 58 and cover bosses 57 may be two or fewer, or three or more.

[0061] (8) The rear cover 56 can also be fixed to the circuit board housing 52 using fixing means other than the cover screws 58 and cover bosses 57.

[0062] (9) The wiring insertion opening 52B1 for passing the wiring 51 through may be a through hole that penetrates the side wall 52B along the left-right direction.

[0063] (10) In place of the control board 50, it is also possible to use a "board" that does not have buttons and does not have an operating function, or a "board" that does not have a display unit and does not have a display function.

[0064] (11) The number of doors provided in the cooling storage room 10 may be one or three or more.

[0065] (12) The cooling storage unit 10 may be a refrigerator of a type other than a horizontal refrigerator. The cooling storage unit 10 may also be configured to include a freezer compartment as the storage room R1 (freezer). The cooling storage unit 10 may also be configured to include both a cooling room and a freezer compartment as the storage room R1.

[0066] (13) In addition to the cooling storage unit 10, the technology disclosed herein is also widely applicable to substrate housings 100 in other devices such as thawing units, serving carts, display cases, blast chillers, tea dispensers, ice makers, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10...Cooling storage unit (equipment), 32...Front panel (exterior material), 50...Control board (circuit board), 51...Wiring, 51A...Drawer section, 52...Circuit board housing section, 52B2...Wiring insertion port, 52E...Opening, 56...Rear cover (cover), 56D...Side section, 57...Cover boss (fixed part), 58...Cover screw (fixing part), 60...Sealing material, 61...Seal receiving section, 62...Extension section, 62A...Parallel section, 62B...Bent section, 100...Circuit board housing, D1...Spacing, D2...Spacing, D3...Spacing, R1...Storage room, R2...Cooler room, R3...Machine room, T1...Thickness, T2...Thickness

Claims

1. An exterior material constituting the exterior of a device, having an exterior material that is frame-shaped with an opening and has a substrate housing portion in which a substrate is housed, A cover attached to the substrate housing portion to close the opening, The cover is provided with a fixing part for fixing it to the exterior material, The cover comprises at least a side portion and a sealing material provided on the upper surface of the side portion. The substrate housing portion is a substrate housing having a seal receiving portion located above the side portion and arranged to sandwich the seal material between itself and the side portion.

2. The exterior material is provided with a fixed portion to which the fixed portion is fixed, The substrate housing according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion is arranged to sandwich the side portion and the sealing material between itself and the seal receiving portion.

3. The sealing material is made of an elastic material that is elastically compressible. The substrate housing according to claim 2, wherein the gap between the fixed portion and the seal receiving portion is smaller than the sum of the thickness of the side portion and the thickness of the sealing material in an uncompressed state.

4. The sealing material is made of an elastic material that is elastically compressible. The substrate housing according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fixed portion is positioned at a distance from the side portion.

5. The sealing material is made of an elastic material that is elastically compressible. The substrate housing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gap between the seal receiving portion and the side portion is smaller than the thickness of the sealing material in an uncompressed state.

6. The substrate housing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the seal receiving portion is positioned to protrude beyond the cover.

7. The wiring comprises one end connected to the substrate and the other end leading out to the outside of the substrate housing, The aforementioned substrate housing is provided with a wiring insertion opening for passing the aforementioned wiring through, The aforementioned wiring extends parallel to the side portion and passes through the wiring insertion opening. The seal receiving portion has an extension that extends to the outside of the substrate housing portion, The substrate housing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the extension portion is placed over the pulled-out portion of the wiring that is drawn out from the substrate housing portion.

8. The substrate housing according to claim 7, wherein the extension portion has a parallel portion parallel to the side portion and a bent portion that is bent from the parallel portion so that it approaches the pull-out portion as it approaches the tip of the extension.

9. A substrate housing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A cooling chamber and a machine chamber are located on the rear side of the substrate housing, A cooling storage facility comprising the substrate housing, the cooling chamber, and a storage chamber located to the side of the machine room.

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