Cooling device and its defrosting structure

Abstract

A cooling device and its defrosting structure are provided that can suppress frost formation on the peripheral edge of a ceiling and perform defrosting efficiently. [Solution] This cooling device includes a main body (10), a blower, a damper, a drain pan, and a terminal box, and performs defrosting by sprinkling water. Two circular openings (15) are drilled in the ceiling of the main body, and dampers are installed to fit into the openings, with the blower installed above them. Sprinkler pipes (16) are attached to at least the periphery of the ceiling.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device that defrosts by spraying water and a defrosting structure thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In cooling devices that blow out cold air, frost forms inside the device during the cooling process, which can cause problems such as insufficient cooling when the inside of the device is frosted, so it is necessary to remove the frost (defrosting).

[0003] Defrosting methods include the electric heater method, which incorporates an electric heater into the cooling device and defrosts using the heat generated by the electric heater, the hot gas method, which melts frost by heating from within by flowing high-temperature gas (hot gas) from the compressor through the cooling device's pipes, the sprinkler method, which defrosts by spraying water or brine (antifreeze) into the cooling device, and the off-cycle method, which temporarily stops the refrigerator and operates the cooling device's fan to circulate the air inside and melt the frost using that heat. Of these, the sprinkler method is used as it is highly energy-efficient.

[0004] In the sprinkler defrosting method, a sprinkler device is installed above the cooling device, and defrosting is performed by sprinkling water from the sprinkler device. Conventionally, as the sprinkler device, devices that perform defrosting by sprinkling water from a sprinkler pipe and devices that sprinkle water via a sprinkler water tank installed below the sprinkler pipe have been proposed. For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 48-107347 (Patent Document 1) proposes a cross-fin coil type cooler that employs a water sprinkler defrosting system. In the cooler described in Patent Document 1, an appropriate gap is provided between the coil frame and the outer periphery of the stacked fins, and a water sprinkler guide is interposed between the cross-fin coil and the defrosting water sprinkler device. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 47-3345 (Patent Document 2) proposes a sprinkler type defroster in which a sprinkler water tank with sprinkler holes drilled in its bottom surface and a sprinkler pipe with spray holes drilled in it are arranged above a cooler equipped with a blower. In the device described in Patent Document 2, a blade sprinkler pipe with spray holes is also arranged above the blades of the blower. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 48-107347 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 47-3345 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As mentioned above, frost inside the cooling device may affect the cooling capacity and efficiency, so it is better to remove frost inside the cooling device as much as possible.

[0007] However, in the cooler of Patent Document 1, a defrosting sprinkler device is installed horizontally at a certain distance from the ceiling of the cooler to spray water downward. However, since water is sprayed downward from a position away from the ceiling, it is difficult to remove frost that forms on the ceiling of the cooler, especially frost that forms on the peripheral part of the ceiling where the ceiling and side of the cooler join. In the device of Patent Document 2, the sprinkler pipes are also installed at a fixed distance from the ceiling and spray water downward, so it is similarly difficult to remove frost that has formed on the periphery of the ceiling.

[0008] Regarding frost inside the cooling device, if frost formation is suppressed before defrosting, defrosting is facilitated and the overall process is efficient and effective.

[0009] The present invention was made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a cooling device and a defrosting structure thereof that can suppress frost formation on the peripheral parts of the ceiling, etc., and can efficiently defrost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to a cooling device that defrosts by spraying water, and the above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by having the spray pipes attached to at least the peripheral edge of the ceiling.

[0011] The above-mentioned object of the present invention is more effectively achieved by the ceiling having a plurality of openings and sprinkler pipes further connected between the plurality of openings, or by the openings being provided with opening / closing means for opening and closing the openings so that the openings are closed by the opening / closing means when sprinkling water, or by the sprinkler pipes being pipes with a square cross section.

[0012] The present invention also relates to a defrosting structure for a cooling device that performs defrosting by sprinkling water, and the above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by connecting a sprinkler pipe to at least the peripheral portion of the ceiling of the cooling device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the cooling device and defrosting structure of the present invention, the sprinkler pipe is attached to at least the peripheral part of the ceiling, which prevents frost from forming on the peripheral part, etc., and any frost that does form can be efficiently defrosted by the temperature of the water flowing through the sprinkler pipe. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of a cooling device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a front view and FIG. 1B is a side view. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a main body with a blower and a damper removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing an example of a sprinkler pipe. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another example of the main body with the blower and damper removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In this device, frost formed inside a cooling device such as a condenser is removed by spraying water. To defrost the inside of the cooling device by spraying water or brine (antifreeze) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "defrosting water"), this device attaches a spray pipe to at least the periphery of the ceiling, and sprays water downward from the top of the cooling device. This allows the entire inside of the cooling device to be defrosted, and the heat of the defrosting water flowing through the spray pipe can remove frost that has formed on the periphery of the ceiling, which is normally difficult to remove.

[0016] In this device, if the ceiling of the cooling device has multiple openings, such as fan vents, it is possible to connect sprinkler pipes between the multiple openings. This allows for more accurate defrosting inside the cooling device. Furthermore, opening and closing devices such as dampers can be attached to the openings, so that the openings can be closed when sprinkling water. This prevents warm air from escaping from the cooling device, allowing for more efficient defrosting.

[0017] In this invention, pipes with a square cross section, such as square pipes, can be used as sprinkler pipes. By using such pipes, the area where the sprinkler pipes connect to the ceiling can be increased, and the temperature of the defrosting water flowing through the sprinkler pipes can be more efficiently transferred to the ceiling.

[0018] The present invention may be realized as a cooling device that defrosts by spraying water, or as a defrosting structure for such a cooling device.

[0019] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. The structures, shapes, values, etc. in the following description are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Furthermore, the following description focuses on the main structures for implementing the present invention, and descriptions of general structures, etc., required for implementing the present invention may be simplified or omitted.

[0020] An example of a cooling device according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1(A) is a front view of the cooling device 1, and Fig. 1(B) is a side view of the cooling device 1. In Fig. 1, as indicated by the solid arrows, the upper side, lower side, left side, and right side respectively refer to the "top," "bottom," "left," and "right" of the cooling device 1, and the front side and rear side respectively refer to the "front" and "rear" of the cooling device 1. The same applies to Figs. 2 and 4 described below.

[0021] The cooling device 1 is installed horizontally indoors, such as in a warehouse, and blows out cool air. Specifically, it uses carbon dioxide, refrigerant gas, or the like as a refrigerant, and blows out air whose temperature has been lowered by utilizing the heat of vaporization (heat of evaporation) that occurs when the refrigerant changes from liquid to gas. The cooling device 1 also removes frost that forms inside the cooling device 1 by spraying water.

[0022] The cooling device 1 includes a main body 10, a blower 20, a damper 30, a drain pan 40, and a terminal box 50. An evaporator 11 is installed inside the main body 10 at a location indicated by a dashed line in FIG.

[0023] The main body 10 is roughly rectangular in shape and is sized according to the size of the room in which the cooling device 1 is installed, for example, approximately 1 m in length (length from front to back in Figure 1), approximately 2.1 m in width (length from left to right in Figure 1), and approximately 1.1 m in height (length from top to bottom in Figure 1). The main body 10 is made of a material that takes into consideration strength, durability, weight, etc., such as stainless steel, Galvalume steel sheet (registered trademark), or the like.

[0024] The cooling device 1 cools the air inside by circulating a refrigerant using an evaporator 11, as well as a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve (not shown). The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor to become a high-temperature, high-pressure gas, which is then sent to the condenser. The condenser cools and condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant to become a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid. The high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant has its pressure reduced by passing through an expansion valve, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid, which is then sent to the evaporator 11.

[0025] The evaporator 11 vaporizes the refrigerant, which has become a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid, to a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. As the refrigerant vaporizes, it absorbs heat (heat of vaporization) from the surrounding air, lowering the temperature of the surrounding air. To improve heat exchange efficiency, the cooling device 1 uses a fin coil as the evaporator 11. The refrigerant flows through a coil (piping) and multiple fins attached to the coil. The main body 10 has a refrigerant inlet 12 and a refrigerant outlet 13 on its right side. The refrigerant flows into the evaporator 11 through the refrigerant inlet 12 and flows out of the evaporator 11 through the refrigerant outlet 13. The refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 11 is returned to the compressor. The refrigerant inlet 12 is located near the rear center of the right side of the main body 10, penetrating the right side. The refrigerant outlet 13 is located at the front lower part of the right side, penetrating the right side. The refrigerant inlet 12 and refrigerant outlet 13 are, for example, stainless steel pipes with outer diameters of approximately 2 cm and 3 cm, respectively. Although the refrigerant inlet 12 and the refrigerant outlet 13 are installed on the right side of the main body 10, they may be installed on another side of the main body 10, such as the front side, as long as the refrigerant can flow in and out of the evaporator 11.

[0026] The cooling device 1 is provided with two fans 20 and two dampers 30. Specifically, two dampers 30 are provided on the top surface of the main body 10, and the fans 20 are provided on the top surface of the dampers 30.

[0027] 2 shows a plan view of the main body 10 without the blower 20 and the damper 30. In FIG. 2, the sprinkler pipe 16 joined to the ceiling (the back side of the upper surface) of the main body 10 is shown by a dashed line.

[0028] Two circular openings 15 are formed in the ceiling (top surface) of the main body 10. A damper 30 is installed to fit into these openings 15, and a blower 20 is installed above it. The size of the openings 15 corresponds to the size of the damper 30 to be fitted into them, and also to the size of the blower 20 above it. Note that as long as the damper 30 can be fitted into the openings 15, they may have a shape other than a circle, such as a square.

[0029] The blower 20 generates air that flows from the bottom to the top of the main body 10. That is, when the blower 20 is started, air flows in from the bottom of the main body 10 and flows through the main body 10, the damper 30, and the blower 20. The temperature of the air circulating in this manner is lowered by the evaporator 11 as described above, and the low-temperature air is sent out from the top of the blower 20.

[0030] The damper 30 functions as an opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening 15. The damper 30 is in an open state during cooling operation, allowing the wind generated by the blower 20 to circulate inside the main body 10 and be sent out to the outside. When frost formed inside the main body 10 is removed by spraying water, the damper 30 is in a closed state, preventing the warm air from leaking out.

[0031] During cooling operation, when the cooling device 1 lowers the temperature inside the main body 10 using the above-described configuration and operation, moisture in the air inside freezes and turns into frost, which adheres to the ceiling, sides, and surface of the main body 10, as well as the surface of the evaporator 11. The cooling device 1 removes this frost by spraying water. Specifically, defrosting water such as water is circulated through a spray pipe 16 attached inside the main body 10, and the defrosting water is sprayed downward from multiple nozzles 17 arranged on the spray pipe 16, thereby performing defrosting.

[0032] 2, sprinkler pipe 16 is installed on the periphery of the ceiling of main body 10 and in the center between two openings 15. Sprinkler pipe 16 is a rectangular pipe with a square or rectangular cross section, and its top surface is joined to the ceiling of main body 10. The portion of sprinkler pipe 16 installed on the periphery of the ceiling may or may not be joined to the side of main body 10.

[0033] A water inlet 14 is provided on the main body 10 near the center of the upper end of the right side, and the water inlet 14 is connected to the sprinkler pipes 16 so that defrosting water is supplied from the water inlet 14 to the sprinkler pipes 16. The water inlet 14 may be a nipple with an outer diameter of approximately 6 cm, for example. Note that the water inlet 14 may be provided on a surface other than the right side of the main body 10, for example on the top surface, as long as it is possible to supply defrosting water to the sprinkler pipes 16.

[0034] Six nozzles 17 are arranged on the sprinkler pipes 16 to spray the defrosting water flowing through the sprinkler pipes 16 into the interior of the main body 10. FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the sprinkler pipes 16 as viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 3, two nozzles 17 are arranged on each of three pipes extending in the vertical direction of the main body 10 (the front-to-rear direction in FIG. 2). Since the defrosting water is sprayed radially downward from the nozzles 17, arranging the nozzles 17 in this manner allows the defrosting water to be sprayed throughout the entire interior of the main body 10 without leaks. Note that the number and arrangement of the nozzles 17 are not limited to those described above, as long as the defrosting water can be distributed throughout the entire interior of the main body 10. Furthermore, the defrosting water flowing through the sprinkler pipes 16 may be sprayed by a method other than using the nozzles 17.

[0035] When defrosting the inside of the main body 10, the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator 11 is stopped, the blower 20 is stopped, and the opening 15 is closed by the damper 30. Then, defrosting water is supplied to the spray pipe 16 from the water supply port 14, and the defrosting water is sprayed by the nozzle 17. The amount of defrosting water to be sprayed is determined based on the size of the main body 10, etc., and, for example, approximately 250 liters of defrosting water is sprayed per minute. The temperature of the defrosting water is set to an appropriate value taking into consideration that if it is too high, the inside of the main body 10 will be overheated, and if it is too low, proper defrosting will not occur. The frequency of defrosting is determined based on the state and tendency of frost formation inside the main body 10, and is set to, for example, one to three times per day. Defrosting may be performed automatically or manually.

[0036] In this way, by joining the sprinkler pipe 16 to the peripheral portion of the ceiling of the main body 10 and circulating defrosting water at a predetermined temperature through the sprinkler pipe 16, it is possible to remove frost that forms on the peripheral portion of the ceiling and its surrounding area.

[0037] The cross section of the sprinkler pipe 16 does not have to be rectangular, but a shape that allows a wide area to be joined to the ceiling is preferable.

[0038] In the cooling device 1, a drain pan 40 is installed below the main body 10. The drain pan 40 receives water leaking from the main body 10 and discharges it to the outside. The drain pan 40 also receives defrosting water used during defrosting.

[0039] A drain outlet 41 is provided in the drain pan 40, and the bottom surface of the drain pan 40 is inclined so that the received water flows toward the drain outlet 41.

[0040] The drain pan 40 is larger than the underside of the main body 10, for example, measuring approximately 1.7 m in length and 2.4 m in width. Like the main body 10, the drain pan 40 is made of a material that takes into consideration strength, durability, weight, etc., such as stainless steel or Galvalume Steel (registered trademark). The drain outlet 41 uses a socket with an outer diameter of approximately 11 cm, for example.

[0041] The terminal box 50 is installed at the top right of the front of the main body 10. The terminal box 50 is used to connect, protect, and organize the electrical wiring used to operate the blower 20 and other components, and houses a terminal block for connecting the blower 20 and other components to an external power source.

[0042] The following modifications are possible to this embodiment. Although the cooling device 1 is equipped with two blowers 20 and two dampers 30, one, three, or more may be installed depending on the size of the cooling device, and the openings are drilled according to the number of blowers and dampers. For example, FIG. 4 shows an example of a main body with three openings. Similar to FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main body 10A with the blowers and dampers removed. Three openings 15A are drilled in the ceiling of the main body 10A. In this case, the sprinkler pipes 16A connected to the ceiling are installed at the periphery of the ceiling of the main body 10A and in the center between two adjacent openings 15A, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, matters not explicitly disclosed in the above-described embodiment, such as the weight of the cooling device 1, do not deviate from the range of ordinary practice by a person skilled in the art, and values ​​that can be easily assumed by a person skilled in the art can be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Cooling device 10, 10A main body 11 Evaporator 12 Refrigerant inlet 13 Refrigerant outlet 14 Water inlet 15, 15A opening 16, 16A sprinkler pipe 17 nozzles 20 Blower 30 Damper 40 Drain pan 41 Drain 50 terminal box

Claims

1. A cooling device that defrosts by spraying water, A cooling device characterized in that the sprinkler pipes are joined to at least the peripheral edge of the ceiling.

2. the ceiling has a plurality of openings; The cooling device according to claim 1 , further comprising a water spray pipe joined between the plurality of openings.

3. An opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening is attached to the opening, 3. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the opening and closing means closes the opening when water is sprayed.

4. 4. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the spray pipe is a pipe having a square cross section.

5. A defrosting structure for a cooling device that performs defrosting by spraying water, A defrosting structure characterized in that a sprinkler pipe is joined to at least the peripheral portion of the ceiling of the cooling device.

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