Cooling Storage

Abstract

To create a cooling storage which enables a user to view the interior of a cooler chamber with a door closed.SOLUTION: A cooling storage 10 includes: a heat insulation box body 11 having a first opening 11S1, a second opening 11S2, and a storage chamber 12 for storing stored objects; a cooler 21 for cooling the storage chamber 12; a cooling duct 23 which is provided within the heat insulation box body 11, forms a cooler chamber 20 in which the cooler 21 is housed, and has transparency; a door 13 which may open or close the first opening 11S1 and is used for taking the stored objects into / out from the storage chamber 12 through the first opening 11S1; and an access member 90 for opening / closing the second opening 11S2. The second opening 11S2 is provided at a position where the interior of the cooler chamber 20 can be viewed from the outside in an opened state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to cooling storage. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a cooling storage facility, a cooling duct (cooler cover) is stretched over the top of an insulated box, which is the main body of the storage facility, to form a cooling room, and a cooling device that generates cold air and a cooling device fan are housed in the cooling room, and an example of this is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In a cooling storage facility with such a configuration, if an abnormal operation such as a cooling failure occurs, the parts installed near the cooling device room are removed, and the conditions of the cooling device, the cooling device fan, etc. are visually confirmed, and a malfunction is determined and the malfunction location is identified. At that time, the work manager opens the door and reaches in through the front opening of the insulated box to remove the parts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-193359 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, the work of checking for abnormalities in a cooling storage unit requires the removal of parts near the cooling chamber, and is therefore not easy and takes time. The smaller the opening of the insulated box through which the work manager can put his / her hand, the more difficult the work becomes. For example, in the case of a locker-type cooling storage unit that can lock while storing food or other cargo in a cool state, the width of the front opening is as small as a person's shoulder width, and since the front opening is divided into storage spaces arranged vertically, the vertical dimension is also small. When an abnormal operation occurs in such a locker-type cooling storage unit, the work manager must use the small opening to remove and install parts, which can be difficult and take a long time. In addition, since the door is left open during the work, the temperature of the storage space rises.

[0005] The present technology has been developed based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to realize a cooling storage cabinet that allows the inside of the cooling chamber to be viewed with the door closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cooling storage facility related to the present technology includes an insulated box having a first opening, a second opening, and a storage chamber for containing stored items, a cooler for cooling the storage chamber, and a cooler duct provided within the insulated box and constituting a cooler chamber for containing the cooler, the cooler duct being transparent, a door capable of opening and closing the first opening for loading and unloading the stored items into and from the storage chamber through the first opening, and an access member for opening and closing the second opening, the second opening being provided in a position that allows the inside of the cooler chamber to be viewed from the outside when open.

[0007] In this way, when the second opening is opened by the access member, the inside of the cooler chamber can be seen from the outside through the transparent cooler duct, thereby realizing a cooling storage facility in which the inside of the cooler chamber can be seen through the second opening even with the door closed.

[0008] The first opening may be provided on the front surface of the insulated box, the cooler duct may be provided in an upper portion of the insulated box, and the second opening may be located on the front surface of the insulated box above the first opening and in front of the cooler duct. In this way, the second opening and the access member for opening and closing the second opening are provided on the front surface of the insulated box above the first opening and the door for opening and closing the second opening. As a result, the work manager can more easily view the inside of the cooler room through the second opening, and the access member for opening and closing the second opening can be more easily operated.

[0009] Moreover, a machine room that houses devices that are connected to the cooler and that form a refrigeration cycle may be provided above the insulated box, and a removable front panel that covers the machine room from the front may be further provided, and the access member may be capable of opening and closing the second opening with the front panel removed. In this way, the second opening cannot be opened and closed by the access member unless the front panel is removed, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which a person other than the operation manager opens and closes the second opening by mistake.

[0010] The access member may be detachably fitted into the second opening and may include an insulating body and a front plate disposed on the front surface of the insulating body and having an abutment portion that abuts against the front panel. In this way, when the front panel is attached, the front panel presses against the abutment portion, so that the access member is properly fitted into the second opening. As a result, the second opening can be closed while ensuring the thermal insulation of the insulating box.

[0011] In addition, an upper panel that serves as the ceiling surface of the storage chamber may be provided below the cooler duct, and a gap may be provided between the front end of the upper panel and the access member to allow air in the storage chamber to pass above the upper panel. In this way, a flow path can be formed so that air in the storage chamber passes above the upper panel through the gap between the front end of the upper panel and the access member, and eventually flows toward the cooler duct (cooler chamber). As a result, it becomes easier to ensure the flow of air from inside the storage chamber toward the cooler chamber.

[0012] The heat-insulating box may further include a first duct provided in a vertical direction on a first side wall portion of the heat-insulating wall constituting the heat-insulating box for drawing in air from the storage chamber and directing it toward the cooler chamber, and a second duct provided in a vertical direction on a second side wall portion different from the first side wall portion for blowing out air from the cooler chamber to the storage chamber. In this way, a duct is provided on each of the two side walls, and one duct (first duct) is used to draw in air from the storage chamber and direct it toward the cooler chamber, and the other duct (second duct) is used to blow out air from the cooler chamber to the storage chamber, thereby forming an air circulation path between the storage chamber and the cooler chamber.

[0013] The first side wall and the second side wall may be paired in the left-right direction, and the first duct and the second duct may face each other. In this way, the two ducts provided on the left and right side walls serve as air passages, eliminating the need to provide a duct on the rear wall. As a result, the design can be easily used for derivative products that add a rear opening and a door for opening and closing the rear opening.

[0014] The storage compartment may further include a plurality of shelves arranged vertically to divide the storage compartment, the first duct and the second duct having a plurality of ventilation holes opening toward the storage compartment along the vertical direction, and the lower portion of the first duct and the lower portion of the second duct may be open and adjacent to the lowest shelf. In this way, the storage compartment can be divided into a plurality of storage spaces by the shelves. Even in such a case, the ventilation holes of the first duct and the second duct can suppress the temperature variation between the storage spaces. Furthermore, since the lower portions of the first duct and the second duct are open to the vicinity of the lowest shelf, even if the ventilation holes are blocked by the stored items, the air flow can be more reliably ensured, and the temperature variation between the storage spaces can be easily suppressed.

[0015] The first opening may be provided on the front surface of the insulated box, the cooler duct may be provided in the lower part of the insulated box, the second opening may be located on the front surface of the insulated box below the first opening and in front of the cooler duct, and a machine room may be provided below the insulated box to accommodate equipment connected to the cooler to form a refrigeration cycle. In this way, the vertical position of the storage room can be raised, and it is easy to put stored items in and take them out of the storage space at the bottom of the storage room. In addition, since the equipment stored in the machine room can be arranged downward, the center of gravity of the entire cooling storage can be lowered, improving stability. Furthermore, even if the cooling storage is installed outdoors, it is possible to prevent rain and the like from entering the machine room, making it easier to prevent malfunctions of the equipment stored in the machine room.

[0016] A locking device for locking the door may also be provided. In this way, a locker-type cooling storage unit can be realized in which the inside of the cooling chamber can be viewed with the door closed. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present technology, it is possible to realize a cooling storage cabinet in which the inside of the cooling chamber can be visually observed even with the door closed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a usage state of a locker-type refrigerator according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a locker-type refrigerator according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2; [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of line IV-IV in Figure 2 [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the engagement portion between the door and the locking device with the left corner panel member removed. [Figure 6] Perspective view of the cooler duct [Figure 7] Enlarged perspective sectional view of the bottom wall portion [Figure 8] A perspective view of the access member with the front panel removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the access member removed from FIG. 8; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an access member; [Figure 11] Enlarged longitudinal section of the access member [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the cooling chamber through the second front opening with the access member removed; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] <Embodiment 1> A locker-type refrigerator 10 (an example of a cooling storage) according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12. Symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D shown in each figure respectively indicate the front and rear in the front-rear direction of the locker-type refrigerator 10, the left and right in the width direction (left-right direction) when viewed from the front, and the top and bottom in the vertical direction (up-down direction). However, the above directions are merely defined for convenience and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. In addition, for multiple identical members, a symbol may be assigned to one member and the symbols of the other members may be omitted.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the locker-type refrigerator 10 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and a plurality of lockers are arranged adjacent to each other so that the door 13 faces the front. The locker-type refrigerator 10 is installed, for example, in a storefront or a shopping mall, and can store luggage such as food and medicine (one example of stored items) in a locked state while cooling them. The locker-type refrigerator 10 is used by a service user (e.g., a purchaser) to receive luggage stored by a service provider (e.g., a store clerk or a delivery person), but the use is not limited thereto. For example, the locker-type refrigerator 10 may be used by a service user to temporarily cool and store luggage. Also, only one locker-type refrigerator 10 may be installed and used depending on the use and installation location. Hereinafter, the service provider and a person authorized by the service provider will be referred to as the manager, and the service provider will be simply referred to as the user.

[0021] One of the locker-type refrigerators 10 installed adjacent to each other includes an operation terminal 80 as shown in FIG. 1. The operation terminal 80 is an information terminal including at least one of an input means 80A such as an operation panel or a reading means 80B such as a barcode reader, and a known terminal such as a tablet terminal or a computer is used. A user can lock or unlock a lock device 70 of a door 13 described later by inputting a password into the operation panel or having a barcode reader read a two-dimensional barcode. The operation terminal 80 may be installed in the vicinity of the locker-type refrigerator 10 as a separate entity, and is not required if the lock device 70 is not an electronic lock. The basic configuration of each unit is common except for the operation terminal 80, and will be described in detail below by taking the locker-type refrigerator 10 not including the operation terminal 80 shown in FIG. 2 as an example.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the locker-type refrigerator 10 roughly includes an insulated box 11 which is a storage body, a plurality of doors 13, a plurality of locking devices 70 provided for each door 13 for locking the door 13, a machine room 15 provided above the insulated box 11, a cooling device 16 for cooling the storage room 12 formed in the insulated box 11, and an access member 90. The door 13 is provided so as to be able to open and close a first front opening 11S1 (an example of a first opening) of the insulated box 11. The access member 90 is a member for opening and closing a second front opening 11S2 (an example of a second opening) of the insulated box 11. The access member 90 is provided so as to be able to open and close the second front opening 11S2 in a state where a front panel 15A described later is removed.

[0023] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the heat-insulating box 11 has a structure in which an outer box 11A and an inner box 11B, which are assembled into a box shape by metal plates such as stainless steel, are filled with a foamed resin heat insulating material 11C between them. The heat-insulating box 11 is composed of heat-insulating walls having a ceiling wall portion 41, a bottom wall portion 42, a left side wall portion 43, a right side wall portion 44, and a rear wall portion 45. As shown in Fig. 2, the left side wall portion 43 has a protruding portion 43A that protrudes toward the outside of the storage compartment (the side opposite to the storage chamber 12) by a predetermined width at the center in the front-rear direction. On the outside of the left side wall portion 43, a first left corner panel member 72 is provided in front of this protruding portion 43A, and a second left corner panel member 73 is provided behind it. The right side wall portion 44 has a shape symmetrical to the left side wall portion 43, and has the same basic configuration.

[0024] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, an opening is provided in the ceiling wall 41, and a thermally insulating ceiling cover 46 is fitted into this opening from the machine room 15 side. The cooler duct 23 is stretched below the ceiling cover 46 to form the cooler room 20. Furthermore, an upper panel 51 having a flat surface parallel to the ceiling wall 41 is attached below the cooler duct 23. A left duct 53 is attached to the left side wall 43 along the vertical direction. Also, a right duct 54 is attached to the right side wall 44 along the vertical direction. The area surrounded by the upper panel 51, the left side wall 43, the left duct 53, the right side wall 44, the right duct 54, and the bottom wall 42 forms the storage room 12 for storing the items to be stored.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the storage room 12 occupies most of the internal space (inside the storage unit) of the insulated box body 11, and is vertically partitioned into multiple (specifically, four) storage spaces 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D by multiple (specifically, four) shelf nets 48. The four shelf nets 48 are lined up and down at intervals between an upper panel 51 constituting the ceiling surface and the bottom wall portion 42, and the top three shelf nets 48 are approximately equal in vertical height to the upper surface of a horizontal frame 49 described later. The lowest shelf net 48 is provided slightly above the bottom wall portion 42 (Figure 7), which allows air to circulate between the lowest shelf net 48 and the bottom wall portion 42.

[0026] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the shelf net 48 is attached to the surfaces of the left side wall 43 and the right side wall 44 facing the storage chamber 12, and can be used to place stored items thereon. More specifically, the shelf net 48 is attached by shelf brackets 48A to a portion of the left side wall 43 where the left duct 53 is not provided, and to a portion of the right side wall 44 where the right duct 54 is not provided. By attaching the shelf brackets 48A to these portions, it becomes easier to ensure the strength of the shelf net 48. The shelf brackets 48A cover a portion of the wires that make up the shelf net 48, and are fixed to the left side wall 43 and the right side wall 44 by screws having a non-generalized special shape. This makes it difficult for users to easily remove the shelf net 48.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of (specifically, four) horizontal frames 49 are provided on the front surface of the heat-insulating box 11. The four horizontal frames 49 are arranged vertically at intervals between the ceiling wall portion 41 and the bottom wall portion 42. The horizontal frames 49 are solid rectangular columnar members filled with a heat insulating material and extend in the left-right direction from the left side wall portion 43 to the right side wall portion 44. The portion of the front surface of the heat-insulating box 11 between the top horizontal frame 49 and the bottom wall portion 42 is the first front opening 11S1. The first front opening 11S1 is divided by the horizontal frames 49 into sizes corresponding to the storage spaces 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D. The portion of the front surface of the heat-insulating box 11 between the top horizontal frame 49 and the ceiling wall portion 41, which is located above the first front opening 11S1, is the second front opening 11S2. The second front opening 11S2 is an opening for visually checking the cooler chamber 20 from the outside of the locker-type refrigerator 10. The second front opening 11S2 can be opened and closed by attaching and detaching the access member 90.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of doors 13 (specifically, four doors) are provided so that each portion of the first front opening 11S1 divided by the horizontal frame 49 can be opened and closed. Each door 13 allows stored items to be put in and taken out of each storage space 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D through the first front opening 11S1. Each door 13 is a right-opening swing-type insulated door, and the right side of the door 13 is attached to the insulated box body 11 by a hinge member 13A (FIG. 1). Also, as shown in FIG. 5, each door 13 is provided with a concave pull tab 13B on the front of the left side and an engagement plate 13C on the rear side of the left side that engages with the locking device 70. The engagement plate 13C is a plate-shaped member that protrudes backward, and an engagement hole 13C1 into which the movable rod body 70B of the locking device 70 is inserted is formed at the tip of the engagement plate.

[0029] The locking device 70 is provided at the rear of the left side of the door 13 as shown in FIG. 2. The locking device 70 is provided on the outside of the left side wall 43, being accommodated between the left side wall 43 and the first left corner panel member 72. As shown in FIG. 5, the locking device 70 includes a vertically long box-shaped main body 70A and a movable rod 70B. An insertion hole 70A1 that extends elongatedly toward the rear is provided on the front surface of the main body 70A, and the engagement plate 13C of the door 13 is inserted into the insertion hole 70A1. The movable rod 70B is provided at a position where it can be inserted into the engagement hole 13C1 of the engagement plate 13C when the door 13 is in a closed state, and can move in the vertical direction. The locking device 70 is an electronic lock, and when an unlocking signal is received from the operation terminal 80, the movable rod 70B moves upward and is pulled out of the engagement hole 13C1 of the door 13, thereby allowing the door 13 to be opened. Furthermore, when a locking signal is received from the operation terminal 80, the movable rod body 70B moves downward and is inserted into the engagement hole 13C1 of the door 13, thereby bringing the door 13 into a closed state in which it cannot be opened. However, the locking device 70 may have an auto-lock function that automatically locks the door 13 when it is closed in order to prevent the door 13 from being forgotten to be locked, and the type of the locking device is not limited, and it does not have to be an electronic lock. Furthermore, the locker-type refrigerator 10 may have an unlocking device that allows the manager to unlock all the locking devices 70 at once.

[0030] 2 to 4, the machine room 15 is disposed above the heat-insulating box 11, and the front, left, and right sides are covered by a front panel 15A, a left side panel 15B, and a right side panel 15C, respectively. The top and rear of the machine room 15 are open to take in outside air and release heat from within the machine room 15. In addition to the compressor 17, condenser 18, and condenser fan 19 that constitute the cooling device 16, the machine room 15 also accommodates a control device 60 (electrical equipment box, power supply unit), an operation box 61, a lock device relay device 62, and the like.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cooling device 16 includes a compressor 17, a condenser 18, an expansion valve (capillary tube), and a cooler (evaporator) 21 in a cooler chamber 20 described later. These are connected in this order by refrigerant pipes to circulate the refrigerant, thereby forming a known refrigeration circuit (refrigeration cycle).

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 4, the control device 60 is disposed on the rear side of the machine room 15. The control device 60 includes a circuit for controlling an operation of the locker type refrigerator 10 and for supplying power, and these are accommodated in a horizontally long box body.

[0033] As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the operation box 61 is disposed behind the front panel 15A and includes a display unit 61A, an operation unit 61B, and an operation board. The display unit 61A and the operation unit 61B are provided on the front side of the operation box 61, and the internal temperature of the storage room 12, etc., displayed on the display unit 61A can be viewed from the outside through an opening provided in a part of the front panel 15A (Fig. 2). The operation unit 61B is a button for setting and changing the cooling target temperature of the storage room 12, etc. The operation unit 61B can be operated by the administrator with the front panel 15A removed. The display unit 61A and the operation unit 61B are connected to the control board of the control device 60 via the operation board.

[0034] 2, the locking device repeater 62 is disposed on the left side (machine room 15 side) of the right side panel 15C, and is connected to the lead wires from each locking device 70. The locking device repeater 62 is communicatively connected to the operation terminal 80, and an unlocking signal and the like from the operation terminal 80 is transmitted to the locking device 70 via the locking device repeater 62.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the cooler duct 23 is provided to cover the upper part (ceiling cover 46) of the heat-insulating box body 11 from below, and the cooler chamber 20 is formed between the cooler duct 23 and the ceiling cover 46. The cooler chamber 20 contains the cooler 21, the circulation fan 24, and the indoor temperature sensor 29. The cooler 21 generates cold air by cooling the air passing through it through heat exchange. The cooler 21 includes a number of metal plates (fins) arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction, and an evaporation tube that penetrates each fin and is folded back. The circulation fan 24 includes a number of blades and a motor, and passes the air in the storage chamber 12 through the cooler 21 while circulating it.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, the cooler duct 23 is inclined downward from the left side wall 43 to the right side wall 44, and is integrally formed of a transparent resin. The left side portion 23A of the cooler duct 23 is formed with a larger inclination angle than the right side portion 23B. The left side portion 23A of the cooler duct 23 is formed with an inlet 25 for air drawn from the storage chamber 12 into the cooler chamber 20, and the circulation fan 24 is provided to cover the inlet 25. The right side portion 23B of the cooler duct 23, which has a smaller inclination angle, is provided with the cooler 21. The downwardly inclined tip (right end portion) of the cooler duct 23 serves as an air outlet 26 for the cooler chamber 20. The indoor temperature sensor 29 is provided between the circulation fan 24 and the cooler 21, and the temperature is detected when the air in the storage chamber 12 drawn by the circulation fan 24 hits the indoor temperature sensor. The indoor temperature sensor 29 is, for example, a thermistor.

[0037] Cooler duct 23 also serves as an internal drain pan, and a drain hose 31 is connected to a part of the right end portion from below, as shown in Fig. 3. Drain hose 31 is embedded in right side wall portion 44 and extends downward, passes from inside right side wall portion 44 through bottom wall portion 42, and is connected to external drain pan 32 provided below bottom wall portion 42.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the left duct 53 is provided along the left side wall 43 of the heat-insulating box 11 and extends in the vertical direction. As described above, the left side wall 43 has the protruding portion 43A, so that the inside of the left side wall 43 is recessed at a predetermined width in the center in the front-to-rear direction. The left duct 53 is provided in this recessed portion. The inside of the left duct 53 (the space surrounded by the left side wall 43 and the left duct 53) becomes a flow path for sucking in air from the storage chamber 12 and flowing it toward the suction port 25 of the cooler duct 23 (and thus the cooler 21 in the cooler chamber 20).

[0039] The left duct 53 is formed by bending a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate into a predetermined shape, and extends downward from the upper panel 51 to the vicinity of the lowest shelf net 48. The upper and lower parts of the left duct 53 are open. The upper opening of the left duct 53 communicates with the space between the cooler duct 23 and the upper panel 51, and the upper end 53A of the surface of the left duct 53 on the side of the storage chamber 12 is connected to the left end of the upper panel 51. The lower opening of the left duct 53 communicates with the lower part of the storage chamber 12. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower end 54C, which is the opening edge of the lower opening of the left duct 53, is disposed slightly above the lowest shelf net 48 with a gap G54C between the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 42 (the surface on the inside of the inner box 11A) and is close to the lowest shelf net 48. The left duct 53 is provided with a large number of inlet holes 53B (an example of a ventilation hole) for drawing air from within the storage chamber 12 into the left duct 53. The large number of inlet holes 53B are provided at a constant pitch in the vertical and front-rear directions, and are arranged in a lattice pattern of five holes in groups.

[0040] 3, the right duct 54 is provided along the right side wall 44 at a position facing the left duct 53, and extends in the up-down direction. The inside of the right side wall 44 has a recess of a predetermined width in the center in the front-to-rear direction, similar to the above-described left side wall 43. The left duct 53 is provided in this recessed portion, similar to the left duct 53. The inside of the right duct 54 (the space surrounded by the right side wall 44 and the right duct 54) serves as a flow path for flowing the cool air from the cooler 21 blown out from the air outlet 26 of the cooler duct 23 toward the storage chamber 12.

[0041] Like the left duct 53, the right duct 54 is also formed by bending a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate into a predetermined shape, and extends downward from the upper panel 51 to the vicinity of the lowest shelf net 48. The upper and lower parts of the right duct 54 are open. The upper opening of the right duct 54 communicates with the air outlet 26 of the cooler duct 23, and the lower opening communicates with the lower part of the storage room 12. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower end 54C, which is the opening edge of the lower opening of the right duct 54, is arranged slightly above the lowest shelf net 48 with a gap G54C between the upper surface of the bottom wall part 42 (the surface on the inside of the inner box 11A) and is close to the lowest shelf net 48. In addition, the right duct 54 is provided with a number of outlet holes 54B (an example of a vent hole) for blowing out the cold air that has flowed into the right duct 54 to the storage room 12. The numerous outlet holes 54B are provided at regular pitches in the up-down and front-rear directions, and are arranged in a lattice pattern of five holes in groups.

[0042] The cooling operation is performed by driving the compressor 17, the condenser fan 19, and the circulation fan 24. In the cooling operation, the air in the storage room 12 flows into the left duct 53 from the inlet hole 53B and the lower end 53C of the left duct 53, rises in the left duct 53, and flows out from the upper opening of the left duct 53. The air flowing out from the left duct 53 passes through the space between the cooler duct 23 and the upper panel 51, is sucked into the inlet 25 of the cooler duct 23, and is cooled by heat exchange while passing through the cooler 21 to become cold air. The cold air from the cooler 21 is blown out from the outlet 26, flows into the right duct 54, descends in the right duct 54, and is blown out from the outlet hole 54B and the lower end 54C of the right duct 54 to the storage room 12. In this way, the air in the storage room 12 is cooled. In addition, after a specified cooling operation time, etc., defrost water generated from the cooler 21, etc. by defrosting operation that is performed as appropriate is received in the cooler duct 23 and then drained through the drain hose 31 to the external drain pan 32.

[0043] As described above, by using the left duct 53 and the right duct 54 provided on the left and right side walls as air passages, it becomes unnecessary to provide a duct serving as an air passage in the rear wall 45. As a result, when manufacturing a derivative product in which a rear opening and a door for opening and closing the rear opening are added, it is easy to use the product in the derivative product.

[0044] In addition, by providing multiple ventilation holes (inlet hole 53B, outlet hole 54B) in the vertical direction in each duct 53, 54, even if the storage chamber 12 is divided into multiple storage spaces 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, temperature variations between the storage spaces can be suppressed, and cooling can be performed while maintaining a more uniform temperature.

[0045] In addition, by placing the lower ends 53C, 54C of the ducts 53, 54 close to the bottom shelf net 48, even if the inlet hole 53B and outlet hole 54B are blocked by the stored items, air circulation is ensured from the lower openings of the ducts 53, 54. Furthermore, the bottom shelf net 48 is provided slightly above the bottom wall portion 42, so that air also flows between the bottom shelf net 48 and the bottom wall portion 42. This ensures air circulation.

[0046] Next, the access member 90 will be described. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the access member 90 is a block body having a horizontally elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is normally detachably fitted into the second front opening 11S2. The access member 90 can be attached and detached to open and close the second front opening 11S2 with the front panel 15A removed. In other words, unless the front panel 15A is removed, the second front opening 11S2 cannot be opened or closed by the access member 90. This prevents the user from accidentally opening or closing the second front opening 11S2.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 10, the access member 90 includes a heat insulating body 91, which is a block-shaped body, a front plate 92, and a rear cover 93. The heat insulating body 91 has a shape and size corresponding to the second front opening 11S2, and is made of a heat insulating material (e.g., urethane, polystyrene foam). The rear cover 93 covers the entire rear surface of the heat insulating body 91, and suppresses moisture absorption by the heat insulating body 91. The rear cover 93 is made of, for example, aluminum foil. The front plate 92 is provided on the front surface of the heat insulating body 91, and is formed by bending a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate. The front plate 92 is formed so that the length in the vertical direction is larger than that of the heat insulating body 91, and the length in the horizontal direction is smaller than that of the heat insulating body 91.

[0048] The front plate 92 has abutment parts 92A on both sides in the left-right direction, which protrude forward and bend along the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 11, the abutment parts 92A are formed to abut against the rear surface 15A1 of the front panel 15A when the front panel 15A is attached. If the access member 90 is not sufficiently fitted into the second front opening 11S2, the thermal insulation of the insulating box 11 will be reduced. Therefore, by pressing the front panel 15A against the abutment parts 92A from the front, the access member 90 will be sufficiently fitted into the second front opening 11S2. In addition, a predetermined gap is generated between the abutment parts 92A and the insulating main body 91, and the abutment parts 92A can be used as a handle by inserting a finger into this gap, making it easy to attach and detach the access member 90.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 11, the access member 90 is fitted into the second front opening 11S2 so that a gap G90 through which air from the storage chamber 12 (more specifically, the storage space 12A) can pass is formed between the front end 51A of the upper panel 51 and the front plate 92. The front plate 92 has a length in the vertical direction greater than the heat insulating body 91 and the second front opening 11S2, so that the access member 90 is not pushed too far backward and the gap G90 is formed. As a result, a flow path can be formed so that the air in the storage chamber 12 passes through the gap G90, passes above the upper panel 51, and then flows toward the intake port 25 of the cooler duct 23. This ensures that air can flow from the storage chamber 12 toward the intake port 25 even if the inlet hole 53B of the left duct 53 is blocked by the stored items.

[0050] When the access member 90 is removed, the second front opening 11S2 is opened as shown in Fig. 12, and the inside of the cooler chamber 20 located behind the second front opening 11S2 can be visually confirmed. As described above, the cooler duct 23 constituting the cooler chamber 20 is transparent, so that the states of the cooler 21, the circulation fan 24, and the indoor temperature sensor 29 covered by the cooler duct 23 can be visually confirmed through the second front opening 11S2.

[0051] When an abnormal operation such as a cooling failure occurs in locker-type refrigerator 10, specific causes may be, for example, that circulation fan 24 does not rotate or that frost adheres to cooler 21 due to a defrost failure, preventing air from passing through cooler 21. In addition, for example, frost adheres to room temperature sensor 29, preventing the temperature from being detected correctly. By visually checking inside cooler chamber 20 from second front opening 11S2, it becomes possible to easily determine the failure and identify the failure location in a short time.

[0052] If the second front opening 11S2 is not provided and the cooler duct 23 is not transparent, in order to visually check the state of the cooler 21, the circulation fan 24, and the room temperature sensor 29, it is necessary to open the door 13, reach through the first front opening 11S1, and remove the upper panel 51, the cooler duct 23, etc. In addition, since the door 13 remains open at that time, the temperature of the storage chamber 12 may rise, which may damage the stored items. According to this embodiment, since the inside of the cooler chamber 20 can be visually checked with the door 13 closed, there is no need to remove the upper panel 51, the cooler duct 23, etc., and the temperature of the storage chamber 12 may be prevented from rising.

[0053] According to this embodiment, the second front opening 11S2 and the access member 90 are provided above the first front opening 11S1 and the door 13 on the front side of the heat-insulating box 11 (FIG. 4), so that they are close to the eye height of a standing person, and the manager can easily view the inside of the cooler chamber 20 from the second front opening 11S2. Furthermore, even if a plurality of locker-type refrigerators 10 are installed adjacent to each other and the side surface is blocked by the adjacent stand (FIG. 1), the second front opening 11S2 is provided on the front side of the heat-insulating box 11, not on the side surface, so that the access member 90 can be attached and detached without moving the adjacent stand.

[0054] <Other embodiments> The present technology is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present technology.

[0055] (1) As long as access member 90 can open and close second front opening 11S2, it does not have to be detachable. For example, access member 90 may be configured to open and close second front opening 11S2 like a door.

[0056] (2) The second front opening 11S2 is merely one example of the second opening, and the second opening may be provided on a location other than the front of the insulating box 11 as long as it is provided at a position that allows viewing of the inside of the cooler chamber 20. For example, the second opening may be provided on the rear surface of the insulating box 11, and the access member 90 may be provided detachably from the rear of the insulating box 11 to open and close the second opening.

[0057] (3) The number, shape, and arrangement of the inlet holes 53B of the left duct 53 and the outlet holes 54B of the right duct 54 can be changed as appropriate according to the size of the storage chamber 12. In addition, an outlet hole may be provided in the upper panel 51 so that the air in the storage chamber 12 passes through the outlet hole of the upper panel 51 and is directed toward the intake port 25.

[0058] (4) The storage compartment 12 may not be partitioned and may have only one door 13.

[0059] (5) In addition to first front opening 11S1, a rear opening connected to storage compartment 12 may be provided, and a second door for opening and closing the rear opening may be provided. In this way, stored items can be put in and taken out of storage compartment 12 from both the front and rear (a so-called pass-through type). In a pass-through type refrigerator, for example, front door 13 can be used for opening and closing by a user, and the second rear door can be used for opening and closing by a manager.

[0060] (6) The arrangement of the equipment in the cooler room 20 and the machine room 15 (specifically, the circulation fan 24, the equipment that constitutes the cooling device 16, etc.) is not limited to that shown in the figure, and other arrangements may be used as long as the cool air circulates in the desired direction.

[0061] (7) The machine room 15 may be disposed below the insulated box body 11. The cooler room 20 may be disposed at a lower part in the insulated box body 11 (i.e., below the storage room 12). For example, the locker-type refrigerator 10 may be configured such that the machine room 15, the cooler room 20, and the storage room 12 are disposed in this order from bottom to top in the vertical direction. In this way, the vertical position of the storage room 12 can be raised, so that it is easy to put stored items in and take them out of the lower part of the storage room 12 (e.g., storage spaces 12C and 12D). In addition, since the devices contained in the machine room 15 and the cooler room 20 can be disposed at a lower part, the center of gravity of the entire locker-type refrigerator 10 can be positioned further downward. This can improve the stability of the locker-type refrigerator 10 even when no stored items are contained therein. Furthermore, even when the locker-type refrigerator 10 is installed outdoors, it is possible to prevent rain and the like from entering the machine room 15, and it is easy to prevent malfunctions of the control device 60 and the like.

[0062] (8) The refrigerated storage compartment may be a refrigerator other than the locker-type refrigerator 10 that does not include the locking device 70. In addition, the cooling temperature is not limited to a refrigerated storage temperature and may be a frozen storage temperature. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10: locker type refrigerator (cooling storage), 11: insulated box, 11S1: first front opening (first opening), 11S1: second front opening (second opening), 12: storage room, 13: door, 15: machine room, 15A: front panel, 20: cooler room, 21: cooler, 23: cooler duct, 51: upper panel, 43: left side wall (second side wall), 44: right side wall (first side wall), 48: shelf net (shelf), 53: left duct (second duct), 53B: inlet hole (ventilation hole), 54: right duct (first duct), 54B: outlet hole (ventilation hole), 70: locking device, 90: access member, 91: insulated main body, 92: front plate, 92A: abutment part

Claims

1. A heat-insulating box having a first opening, a second opening, and a storage chamber for accommodating a stored item; A cooler for cooling the inside of the storage chamber; a cooler duct provided in the heat-insulating box and constituting a cooler chamber for accommodating the cooler, the cooler duct having transparency; a door capable of opening and closing the first opening and for putting the stored item in and taking it out of the storage chamber through the first opening; an access member for opening and closing the second opening, The second opening is provided at a position where the inside of the cooling chamber can be seen from the outside when the second opening is open.

2. The first opening is provided on a front surface of the insulating box, The cooler duct is provided in an upper portion of the thermal insulation box, The cooling storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein the second opening is located on the front surface of the insulating box, above the first opening and in front of the cooler duct.

3. A machine room is provided above the heat-insulating box body to accommodate devices that are connected to the cooler and that constitute a refrigeration cycle. Further, a removable front panel is provided to cover the machine room from the front, The cooling storage facility according to claim 2 , wherein the access member is capable of opening and closing the second opening with the front panel removed.

4. The access member is removably fitted to the second opening, 4. The cooling storage facility according to claim 3, comprising: a thermally insulated main body; and a front plate disposed on a front surface of the thermally insulated main body and having an abutment portion that abuts against the front panel.

5. An upper panel that serves as a ceiling surface of the storage chamber is provided below the cooler duct, 5. The cooling storage facility according to claim 2, wherein a gap is provided between the front end of the upper panel and the access member to allow air in the storage chamber to pass above the upper panel.

6. a first duct provided along a vertical direction on a first side wall portion of the insulating wall constituting the insulating box body, for sucking air in the storage chamber and for directing the air toward the cooler chamber; The cooling storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a second duct provided along the vertical direction on a second side wall portion different from the first side wall portion for blowing air from the cooler chamber into the storage chamber.

7. The first side wall portion and the second side wall portion form a pair in the left-right direction, The cooling storage facility according to claim 6 , wherein the first duct and the second duct face each other.

8. A plurality of shelves are arranged vertically in a row to divide the storage chamber, The first duct and the second duct each have a plurality of ventilation holes that open toward the storage chamber along a vertical direction, 8. The cooling storage facility according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a lower portion of the first duct and a lower portion of the second duct are open and are adjacent to the lowest shelf.

9. The first opening is provided on a front surface of the insulating box, The cooler duct is provided in a lower portion of the thermal insulation box, The second opening is located on the front surface of the insulating box, below the first opening and in front of the cooler duct, 2. The cooling storage facility according to claim 1, wherein a machine room is provided below the heat-insulating box body, the machine room housing devices connected to the cooler to constitute a refrigeration cycle.

10. Further, a removable front panel is provided to cover the machine room from the front, The cooling storage facility according to claim 9 , wherein the access member is capable of opening and closing the second opening with the front panel removed.

11. The access member is removably fitted to the second opening, The cooling storage facility according to claim 10, comprising: an insulating body; and a front plate disposed on a front surface of the insulating body and having an abutment portion that abuts against the front panel.

12. The cooling storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a locking device for locking the door.

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