Cooling warehouse

Abstract

In a cooling cabinet equipped with a cooling chamber that allows for the loading and unloading of carts carrying objects to be cooled, and a differential pressure unit that creates a differential pressure within the cooling chamber, the risk of cleaning water directly contacting the inner surface of the differential pressure unit is eliminated, thereby improving the efficiency of cleaning the cooling chamber. [Solution] The differential pressure unit 6 comprises a hollow differential pressure duct 15 having a cold air intake port 17 and an outlet port 18, a differential pressure fan 16 that forms an airflow from the intake port 17 to the outlet port 18 within the differential pressure duct 15, and a wind direction guide 21 provided on the outer surface side of the intake port 17 of the differential pressure duct 15. This wind direction guide 21 is configured to be displaceable between an open position facing the side of a cart 30 placed in front of the intake port 17 and a closed position that blocks the intake port 17.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising a cooling chamber capable of loading and unloading a cart on which an object to be cooled is placed, and a differential pressure unit for forming a differential pressure in the cooling chamber to expose the cart to cold air.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding this type of refrigerator, the applicant has previously filed Patent Document 1. The refrigerator of Patent Document 1 includes a refrigerator body composed of a heat insulation wall and a heat insulating door for opening and closing an entrance provided on the front surface of the refrigerator body. In a cooling chamber surrounded by the refrigerator body and the door, there are provided a cooling means for cooling air and a plurality of differential pressure units for forming a differential pressure in the cooling chamber. The cooling means is installed on the ceiling surface of the cooling chamber, and the differential pressure units are arranged side by side on the floor surface of the cooling chamber. Each differential pressure unit includes a square box-shaped hood with an open front surface, and a cart is loaded and unloaded into the hood through the opening. A plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the rear wall of the hood, and a blower fan is provided in each ventilation hole. When these blower fans are driven, the air in the hood is sucked out from the ventilation holes to the outside, and the hood is in a negative pressure state, and the cold air cooled by the cooling means flows into the hood from the front opening. Thereby, the cart placed in the hood is exposed to cold air, and the object to be cooled on the cart is quickly cooled.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In this type of cooling cabinet, users wearing shoes enter and exit pushing carts, and drips and fragments (such as toppings) from the cooled food may fall and accumulate as the carts move. Therefore, it is desirable to clean the floor regularly. However, if the cleaning water directly hits the inside of the differential pressure unit, it may cause problems such as the fan of the differential pressure unit malfunctioning. As a result, the workers performing the cleaning must constantly pay attention to where the cleaning water goes, making it difficult to improve the efficiency of the cleaning process.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to improve the workability of cleaning the cooling chamber in a cooling cabinet that includes a cooling chamber through which a cart carrying an object to be cooled can be inserted and removed, and a differential pressure unit that creates a differential pressure within the cooling chamber, by eliminating the risk of cleaning water directly coming into contact with the inner surface of the differential pressure unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cooling cabinet according to the present invention comprises a cooling chamber 4 through which a cart 30 carrying an object to be cooled 31 can be inserted and removed, a cooling means 5 for cooling the air inside the cooling chamber 4, and a differential pressure unit 6 that creates a differential pressure inside the cooling chamber 4 to expose the cart 30 to cold air. The differential pressure unit 6 comprises a hollow differential pressure duct 15 having a cold air intake port 17 and an outlet port 18, a differential pressure fan 16 that forms an airflow from the intake port 17 to the outlet port 18 inside the differential pressure duct 15, and a wind direction guide 21 provided on the outer surface side of the intake port 17 of the differential pressure duct 15. The wind direction guide 21 is characterized in that it is configured to be displaceable between an open position facing the side of the cart 30 placed in front of the intake port 17 and a closed position that blocks the intake port 17.

[0007] The wind direction guide 21 is configured in a double-door style with a pair of guide plates 22, and the guide plates 22 of the wind direction guide 21, when in the open position, face directly toward both sides of the cart 30 placed in front of the intake port 17.

[0008] Multiple intake ports 17 are formed on the front of the differential pressure duct 15, and a differential pressure fan 16 faces each intake port 17. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The differential pressure unit 6 of the cooling chamber according to the present invention is equipped with an airflow guide 21 provided on the outer surface side of the intake port 17 of the differential pressure duct 15. The airflow guide 21 is configured to be displaceable between an open position facing the side of the cart 30 placed in front of the intake port 17 and a closed position that blocks the intake port 17. Therefore, by closing the airflow guide 21 in advance to block the intake port 17, workers can eliminate the risk of cleaning water entering from the intake port 17 and directly hitting the inner surface of the differential pressure duct 15, thereby reducing the need to pay attention to the direction of the cleaning water and improving the work efficiency of cleaning the cooling chamber 4. On the other hand, when cooling the object to be cooled 31 placed on the cart 30, the airflow guide 21 is set to the open position and faces the side of the cart 30 placed in front of the intake port 17. As a result, the airflow guide 21 exerts a rectifying effect, increasing the velocity of the cold air flowing along the cart 30, thus allowing the object to be cooled 31 to be cooled in a short time.

[0010] The airflow guide 21 is configured in a double-door style using a pair of guide plates 22, and when the guide plates 22 are positioned directly facing both sides of the cart 30 in the open position, the rectifying effect of the cold air by the airflow guide 21 is further enhanced, allowing the object to be cooled 31 on the cart 30 to be cooled more efficiently.

[0011] By positioning the differential pressure fan 16 facing each intake port 17 formed on the front of the differential pressure duct 15, the distance from the differential pressure fan 16 to the cart 30 placed in front of the intake port 17 can be reduced, creating a larger negative pressure around the cart 30. This further increases the velocity of the cold air flowing along the cart 30, allowing for more efficient cooling of the object to be cooled 31 on the cart 30. Furthermore, when cleaning the cooling chamber 4, the differential pressure fan 16 facing each intake port 17 can be shielded by the closed-position airflow guide 21 to reliably prevent failure of the differential pressure fan 16 due to water exposure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1]This is a cross-sectional plan view of the main part of a cooling cabinet according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the cooling chamber. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the interior of the cooling chamber. [Figure 4] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the main part of a cooling cabinet according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] (First Embodiment) Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the cooler according to the present invention. In this embodiment, front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the intersecting arrows shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the front, back, left, right, and up and down indications written near each arrow. The same applies to the second embodiment described below. As shown in Figure 2, the cooler comprises a storage body 1 made of insulated walls, an insulated door 3 that opens and closes an entrance 2 provided on the front of the storage body 1, a cooling chamber 4 enclosed by the storage body 1 and the door 3, a cooling means 5 for cooling the air in the cooling chamber 4, and a differential pressure unit 6 that creates a differential pressure in the cooling chamber 4 to circulate cold air. The entrance 2 has an opening size that allows a multi-tiered cart 30 and a user pushing the cart 30 to pass through. The cart 30 can be loaded with multiple trays 32 on which food items to be cooled 31 are placed.

[0014] The cooling means 5 consists of a unit cooler installed on the ceiling surface of the cooling chamber 4, and specifically comprises a cooler 10 that receives low-temperature refrigerant from a condensing unit outside the chamber, a cooling duct 11 that houses the cooler 10, and a cooling fan 12 that forms heat-exchange air within the cooling duct 11. The cooling duct 11 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape with openings on both the front and rear sides, and the cooling fan 12 faces the rear opening of the cooling duct 11. The cold air cooled by passing through the cooler 10 is blown forward from the front opening of the cooling duct 11. The cooling fan 12 may also be positioned to face the front opening of the cooling duct 11.

[0015] The differential pressure unit 6 consists of a hollow, rectangular differential pressure duct 15 and multiple differential pressure fans 16 attached to the differential pressure duct 15, and is installed on the floor of the cooling chamber 4, close to the rear wall of the main body 1. Multiple intake ports 17 are provided on the front of the differential pressure duct 15, and one outlet port 18 is provided on the top surface of the differential pressure duct 15. More specifically, a pair of upper and lower intake ports 17 are provided on each of the left and right halves of the front of the differential pressure duct 15 (see Figure 3), and an axial flow type differential pressure fan 16 is positioned inside each intake port 17.

[0016] As each differential pressure fan 16 of the differential pressure unit 6 is driven, a differential pressure is formed between the front (inlet 17 side) and the top (outlet 18 side) of the differential pressure duct 15, making the front of the differential pressure duct 15 a relative negative pressure. As shown by the arrows in Figure 2, the cold air blown forward from the cooling duct 11 of the cooling means 5 flows downward along the front of the cooling chamber 4, changes direction backward toward the negative pressure space in front of the differential pressure duct 15, flows along the cart 30 placed in the negative pressure space, and quickly cools the objects to be cooled 31 on each tray 32 mounted on the cart 30. The air that has cooled the objects to be cooled 31 is drawn into the differential pressure duct 15 from one of the inlets 17, blown upward from the outlet 18, and drawn back into the cooling duct 11.

[0017] An airflow guide 21 responsible for straightening the flow of cold air is provided on the outer surface of the intake port 17 of the differential pressure duct 15. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the airflow guide 21 is configured in a double-door style with a pair of vertically elongated guide plates 22 on the left and right sides. The left-right opposing dimension of the guide plates 22 of the airflow guide 21 in the open position is set to be larger than the left-right width dimension of the cart 30. Therefore, the cart 30 can enter between the pair of open guide plates 22 and approach the intake port 17 from the front. At this time, the airflow guide 21 faces directly towards both sides, mainly the rear of the cart 30, and straightens the flow of cold air along the cart 30. As a result, the velocity of the cold air increases, so that the object to be cooled 31 on the cart 30 can be cooled in a short time.

[0018] As described above, in this embodiment, a pair of upper and lower intake ports 17 are provided on each of the left and right halves of the front surface of the differential pressure duct 15, and correspondingly, air direction guides 21 are also provided on each of the left and right halves of the front surface. More specifically, the guide plate 22 of the left air direction guide 21 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the pair of upper and lower intake ports 17 on the left side, and similarly, the guide plate 22 of the right air direction guide 21 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the pair of upper and lower intake ports 17 on the right side. Between the guide plates 22 of the left and right air direction guides 21, which are in an open position, one cart 30 can be placed facing the pair of upper and lower intake ports 17. In other words, the differential pressure unit 6 of this embodiment can simultaneously expose two carts 30 to cold air and cool the objects 31 to be cooled on these carts 30.

[0019] Furthermore, since users wearing shoes enter and exit the cooling chamber 4 pushing carts 30, and drips and fragments (such as toppings) from the cooled object 31, i.e., food, may fall and accumulate while the carts 30 are moving, it is desirable to clean the floor of the cooling chamber 4 regularly. Workers performing cleaning of the cooling chamber 4 should, in advance, close each airflow guide 21 (see Figure 3) to block all intake ports 17. Specifically, the left airflow guide 21 should block the pair of upper and lower intake ports 17 on the left side, and the right airflow guide 21 should block the pair of upper and lower intake ports 17 on the right side. This eliminates the risk of cleaning water entering from the intake ports 17 and directly contacting the inner surfaces of the differential pressure fan 16 and differential pressure duct 15. In other words, blocking the intake ports 17 with the airflow guides 21 reduces the need for workers to pay attention to the trajectory of the cleaning water, thereby improving the efficiency of cleaning the cooling chamber 4.

[0020] (Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention, in which the configuration of the differential pressure unit 6 is different from that of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, as in the previous Patent Document 1, a plurality of differential pressure units 6 are arranged side by side in the left - right direction in the cooling chamber 4. At the front part of the differential pressure duct 15 of each differential pressure unit 6, a portal - shaped hood part 25 capable of accommodating the rear part of a single cart 30 is integrally provided in a front view. The area surrounded by the rear end part of the hood part 25 functions as the suction port 17, and the cart 30 can enter right in front of the suction port 17.

[0021] The double - leaf wind direction guide 21 is provided at the tip (front end) of the hood part 25. The wind direction guide 21 in the open position faces the both side surfaces mainly at the front part of the cart 30 and, together with the hood part 25, is responsible for rectifying the cold air. The wind direction guide 21 in the closed position closes the opening on the front surface of the hood part 25 and the suction port 17 behind it. The upper surface of the differential pressure duct 15 including the air outlet 18 slopes upward to the rear, and the differential pressure fan 16 is arranged outside the air outlet 18. Since the rest is the same as in the first embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0022] As described above, the differential pressure unit 6 of the refrigerator in each embodiment includes a wind direction guide 21 provided on the outer surface side of the suction port 17 of the differential pressure duct 15. The wind direction guide 21 is configured to be displaceable between an open position facing the side surface of the cart 30 placed in front of the suction port 17 and a closed position closing the suction port 17. Therefore, an operator performing cleaning of the cooling chamber 4 can close the wind direction guide 21 in advance to close the suction port 17, eliminating the risk that cleaning water enters from the suction port 17 and directly hits the inner surface of the differential pressure duct 15, and reducing the need to worry about the whereabouts of the cleaning water. Thus, the workability of cleaning the cooling chamber 4 can be improved. On the other hand, when cooling the cooled object 31 placed on the cart 30, the wind direction guide 21 is set to the open position and made to face the side surface of the cart 30 placed in front of the suction port 17. Thereby, the wind direction guide 21 exhibits a rectifying effect, increasing the speed of the cold air flowing along the cart 30, so that the cooled object 31 can be cooled in a short time.

[0023] The airflow guide 21 is configured in a double-door style using a pair of guide plates 22, and in its open position, the guide plates 22 are positioned directly facing both sides of the cart 30. This further enhances the rectifying effect of the cold air by the airflow guide 21, allowing the object to be cooled 31 on the cart 30 to be cooled more efficiently.

[0024] In addition to the above, the airflow guide 21 is not limited to a double-door type, and may be constructed from a single guide plate 22. In this case, it is desirable to position the airflow guide 21 directly facing one side of the cart 30, and to position the other side facing adjacent airflow guides 21 or the wall surface of the cooling chamber 4. The cooling means 5 is not limited to a unit cooler, and may include a system that supplies cold air to the cooling chamber 4 from the outside, or a system that cools the wall surface of the cooling chamber 4. In the first embodiment, the number of carts 30 that can be lined up in front of the differential pressure duct 15 may be three or more. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0025] 4 Cooling room 5 Cooling means 6 Differential pressure unit 15 Differential pressure duct 16 Differential pressure fan 17 Inlet 18 Air outlet 21 Wind Direction Guide 22 Guide plate 30 carts 31 Object to be cooled

Claims

1. A cooling cabinet comprising a cooling chamber (4) into which a cart (30) carrying an object to be cooled (31) can be inserted and removed, a cooling means (5) for cooling the air inside the cooling chamber (4), and a differential pressure unit (6) for creating a differential pressure inside the cooling chamber (4) to expose the cart (30) to cold air, The differential pressure unit (6) comprises a hollow differential pressure duct (15) having a cold air intake (17) and an outlet (18), a differential pressure fan (16) that forms an airflow from the intake (17) to the outlet (18) within the differential pressure duct (15), and a wind direction guide (21) provided on the outer surface of the intake (17) of the differential pressure duct (15). A cooling cabinet characterized in that the air direction guide (21) is configured to be displaceable between an open position facing the side of a cart (30) placed in front of the intake port (17) and a closed position blocking the intake port (17).

2. The wind direction guide (21) is configured in a double-door style with a pair of guide plates (22). The cooling cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the guide plate (22) of the open-positioned airflow guide (21) faces directly toward both sides of the cart (30) placed in front of the intake port (17).

3. Multiple suction ports (17) are formed on the front of the differential pressure duct (15). The cooling cabinet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each intake port (17) is facing a differential pressure fan (16).

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