Showcase and Showcase System

Abstract

To provide a showcase which discharges drain water smoothly while securing the capacity of a storage room even if cooling means is installed at an area above the storage room.SOLUTION: A showcase 10 includes: a circulation fan F1 which circulates air between a storage room 12 defined in a case body 11 and an air channel 20 which is provided communicating with the storage room 12 in the case body 11; and a refrigeration circuit 30 which is installed at an area above the storage room 12 in the case body 11 and cools air circulated by the circulation fan F1. The showcase 10 further includes a drain pipe 50, which is disposed in a manner that the drain pipe 50 gradually inclines downward from one end to the other end along a width direction of the case body 11 and discharges drain water occurring in an evaporator 34 forming the refrigeration circuit 30 and flowing thereinto, at a canopy 19 forming a front end portion of an upper part of the case body 11 which is located above the storage room 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a showcase and a showcase system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a showcase that keeps stored products in a cooled state is proposed in Patent Document 1. In the showcase proposed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of product placement shelves are provided in multiple levels along the vertical direction in a storage chamber of a case body having a front opening, and products are displayed by being placed on each product placement shelf.

[0003] In addition, inside the case body but outside the storage chamber, an air passage is formed for air drawn in through an intake port provided at the front lower part of the storage chamber, and an evaporator is provided in the air passage above the storage chamber.

[0004] The air passing through this air passage is cooled by an evaporator and then blown out from an outlet located at the front upper part of the storage chamber. The air blown out from the outlet is drawn into an intake port and circulated through the air passage, cooling the air inside the storage chamber and maintaining the products placed on the product shelves at the desired temperature.

[0005] In such a showcase, the evaporator is provided on the upper side of the storage chamber, so the volume of the storage chamber can be made sufficiently larger than when the evaporator is provided on the back or lower side of the storage chamber, and sufficient space can be secured for displaying products. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3695885 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In general showcases, a drain pipe is installed below the storage chamber in the case body to discharge drain water such as condensation water generated in the evaporator to the outside. This drain pipe needs to be gradually inclined downward from one side to the other in the extension direction to allow the drain water to circulate.

[0008] However, in the showcase proposed in Patent Document 1, the evaporator and other components are installed above the storage chamber, thereby reducing the height dimension of the lower area of ​​the storage chamber in the case body and expanding the volume of the storage chamber, making it difficult to install a drain pipe at an angle in the lower area of ​​the storage chamber.

[0009] To solve this problem, it is conceivable to increase the height of the lower area of ​​the storage chamber by raising the height of the case body, but this would undesirably reduce the volume of the storage chamber.

[0010] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a showcase and a showcase system that can efficiently discharge drain water while maintaining the volume of the storage chamber even when a cooling means is installed in the upper area of ​​the storage chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the showcase of the present invention comprises an air circulation means for circulating air between a storage chamber defined inside the case body and an air duct arranged inside the case body in a manner communicating with the storage chamber, and a cooling means installed in an area above the storage chamber in the case body and cooling the air circulated by the air circulation means, and is a showcase that keeps products stored in the storage chamber cooled, and is characterized by comprising a drain discharge pipe arranged in the front end portion of the upper part of the case body above the storage chamber in a manner that gradually slopes downward from one end to the other along the width direction of the case body, and through which drain water generated by the evaporator that constitutes the cooling means flows and is discharged.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that the above-mentioned showcase is provided with an inlet hole formed in the front end portion of the upper part of the case body, which introduces a portion of the air passing toward the condenser constituting the cooling means, and an outlet hole formed in the front end portion, which sends out the air that has been introduced through the inlet hole and passed near the drain discharge pipe toward the condenser.

[0013] The present invention is also characterized in that the showcase is provided with a blower fan disposed at the front end portion, which forcibly introduces a portion of the air passing toward the condenser through the inlet hole and forcibly sends it out to the condenser through the outlet hole.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that in the showcase, the drain water is heated by utilizing heat from a condenser constituting the cooling means and is made to flow into the drain pipe.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the showcase further comprises an evaporation tray for temporarily storing the drain water and thermally connected to the condenser.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the showcase further comprises a transfer member for transferring heat from a condenser constituting the cooling means to the drain pipe.

[0017] The present invention is also characterized in that the showcase is provided with an interior lighting member that is provided at the front end portion and that illuminates the storage chamber, and transmission means that transmits heat generated by the interior lighting member to the drain discharge pipe.

[0018] Furthermore, the showcase system according to the present invention is a showcase system configured by arranging a plurality of the above-mentioned showcases side by side, and is characterized in that the drain discharge pipe is connected in a manner that communicates with the drain discharge pipe provided in an adjacent showcase. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, a drain discharge pipe is arranged at the front end portion of the upper part of the case body above the storage chamber, in such a manner that it gradually slopes downward from one end to the other along the width direction of the case body, and drain water generated by the evaporator that constitutes the cooling means flows in and is discharged, thereby achieving the effect of being able to discharge drain water well while maintaining the volume of the storage chamber even when the cooling means is installed in the upper area of ​​the storage chamber.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a plurality of the above-mentioned showcases are arranged side by side, and each showcase drain pipe is connected in a manner that communicates with the drain pipe provided in the adjacent showcase, so that the drain water generated in each showcase can be discharged in common, and the construction for discharging the drain water can also be made easy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view that schematically shows the internal structure of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a showcase system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of a modified example of the showcase shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a showcase and a showcase system according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a schematic internal structure of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. A showcase 10 shown here is installed in a store 1 such as a convenience store or supermarket. As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of such showcases 10 are arranged side by side to form a showcase system 100, and each showcase has a case body 11. That is, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the showcase system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] The case body 11 is a heat-insulating housing having an opening 11a on the front surface (hereinafter also referred to as the front opening). The case body 11 defines a storage chamber 12 therein, and is also provided with an air passage 20, a circulation fan (air circulation means) F1, a refrigeration circuit (cooling means) 30, an evaporation tray 40, and a drain pipe 50.

[0025] The storage room 12 is a room defined in a manner facing the front opening 11a, and has a plurality of product placement shelves 13 arranged in a vertical line. Each of the product placement shelves 13 is used to place and display products.

[0026] Although not shown, multiple holes are formed in the back panel 14a that forms the back surface of the storage chamber 12. These holes are provided at multiple height levels and are elongated holes with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction. More specifically, the holes are formed in the lower part of each product storage shelf 13.

[0027] Furthermore, an intake port 15 is formed at the front lower part of the storage chamber 12, and an outlet port 16 is formed at the front upper part of the storage chamber 12. The intake port 15 is an opening for drawing in air inside the storage chamber 12, and is provided extending in the left-right direction of the storage chamber 12. The outlet port 16 is an opening for blowing air into the storage chamber 12, and is provided extending in the left-right direction of the storage chamber 12. A straightening member (not shown), for example having a honeycomb structure, is attached to the outlet port 16.

[0028] Air passage 20 is an air passage that extends from intake port 15 to outlet port 16 and each hole. Air passage 20 includes lower air passage 21, first rear-side air passage 22, storage box 23, second rear-side air passage 24, third rear-side air passage 25, and upper air passage 26.

[0029] Lower-side air passage 21 is provided below bottom panel 14b that forms the bottom surface of storage chamber 12. Lower-side air passage 21 communicates with air intake port 15. First rear-side air passage 22 is provided along the up-down direction on the rear side of back panel 14a and in front of rear wall portion 17 of case body 11. A lower end of first rear-side air passage 22 communicates with lower-side air passage 21.

[0030] Storage box 23 is made of a heat insulating material and is installed at the rear end portion of upper wall portion 18 of case body 11. The inside of storage box 23 communicates with first rear-side air passage 22 through first communication port 18a formed in upper wall portion 18.

[0031] Second rear-side air passage 24 is provided on the rear side of rear plate 14a and in front of first rear-side air passage 22, extending in the vertical direction. Second rear-side air passage 24 is separated from first rear-side air passage 22. An upper end of second rear-side air passage 24 communicates with the interior of storage box 23 through second communication port 18b formed in upper wall portion 18 of case body 11.

[0032] Third rear-side air passage 25 is provided on the rear side of rear panel 14a and in front of second rear-side air passage 24, extending in the vertical direction. Third rear-side air passage 25 is separated from second rear-side air passage 24 with their lower ends communicating with each other, and communicates with storage chamber 12 through each hole.

[0033] Upper air passage 26 is provided above the top panel that constitutes the top surface of storage chamber 12 and below upper wall portion 18, extending in the front-to-rear direction. This upper air passage 26 has a rear end that communicates with the upper end of third rear-side air passage 25 and a front end that communicates with air outlet 16.

[0034] The circulation fan F1 is driven by a command given by a control means (not shown) and is installed at the rear end of the lower air passage 21. When driven, the circulation fan F1 circulates air between the storage chamber 12 and the air passage 20.

[0035] In this embodiment, the circulation fan F1 is installed at a predetermined location (rear end) of the lower air passage 21, but in the present invention, the installation location of the circulation fan F1 is not particularly limited, and it may be installed anywhere as long as it can perform the function of the circulation fan F1 described below.

[0036] The refrigeration circuit 30 is configured by sequentially connecting a compressor 31, a condenser 32, an expansion mechanism 33, and an evaporator 34 through a refrigerant pipe 35, and is filled with refrigerant.

[0037] The compressor 31 is installed outside the storage box 23 on the upper wall portion 18 of the case body 11. The compressor 31 is driven in response to a command given from the control means, and when driven, it draws in the refrigerant from the evaporator 34, compresses it, and discharges it as high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant.

[0038] The condenser 32 is installed outside the storage box 23 on the upper wall portion 18, similar to the compressor 31, and in this embodiment, is installed further forward than the storage box 23. The condenser 32 condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 31 by heat exchange with the surrounding air, and discharges the refrigerant as a low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant.

[0039] The expansion mechanism 33 is configured, for example, with an electronic expansion valve, a capillary tube, etc., and is installed outside the storage box 23, similar to the compressor 31 and the condenser 32. The expansion mechanism 33 adiabatically expands the low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant condensed in the condenser 32 and sends it to the evaporator 34 as a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant.

[0040] The evaporator 34 is housed inside the storage box 23 and evaporates the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant delivered from the expansion mechanism 33 through heat exchange with the ambient air, thereby cooling the ambient air. In other words, the evaporator 34 cools the air passing through the interior of the storage box 23, i.e., the air circulated by the circulation fan F1, by evaporating the refrigerant.

[0041] The refrigeration circuit 30 and the storage box 23 are covered by a cover member 11b. Although not shown in the drawing, the cover member 11b is appropriately formed with openings (not shown) that allow air to pass through.

[0042] The evaporation pan 40 is installed with a portion of it extending inside the storage box 23. The evaporation pan 40 is used to collect drain water such as condensation water generated in the evaporator 34 through a gutter (not shown).

[0043] An outdoor fan F2 is provided in an area above the evaporation dish 40. The outdoor fan F2 is driven in response to commands given by the control means, and is a blower that, when driven, draws outside air in through an opening formed in the cover member 11b and passes it around the condenser 32. The outdoor fan F2 promotes heat exchange in the condenser 32, and the air heated by the condenser 32 passes near the evaporation dish 40, thereby promoting evaporation of the drain water.

[0044] The drain pipe 50 is provided inside the canopy 19. The canopy 19 is provided in a manner that protrudes forward from the upper end of the case body 11, and forms the front end portion of the upper part of the case body 11.

[0045] An operation display unit (not shown) is provided on the front of the canopy 19, as well as an interior lighting member 60 made up of a light source such as an LED. The interior lighting member 60 illuminates the inside of the storage chamber 12.

[0046] The drain pipe 50 extends in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the case body 11, and is arranged so as to gradually slope downward from the left end, which is one end, to the right end, which is the other end. The drain pipe 50 is connected to the evaporating dish 40 through a drain water supply pipe 41. The drain water supply pipe 41 supplies drain water stored in the evaporating dish 40 to the drain pipe 50. In other words, the drain pipe 50 distributes the drain water supplied through the drain water supply pipe 41 toward the right end according to its inclined extension.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 2, such a drain pipe 50 communicates with the drain pipe 50 of another adjacent showcase 10 that constitutes the showcase system 100. In other words, the drain pipe 50 constitutes one drain pipe line 51 together with the other drain pipes 50 in the showcase system 100. The drain pipe 50 of the showcase 10 arranged on the rightmost side, i.e., the drain pipe 50 that constitutes the most downstream side of the drain pipe line 51, has its right end connected to the air conditioning drain pipe 2 that circulates drain water generated by an air conditioning device installed in the store 1. As a result, the drain water flowing through the drain pipe 50 passes through the drain pipe line 51 and then flows through the air conditioning drain pipe 2 to be discharged.

[0048] 1, an inlet hole 19a and an outlet hole 19b are formed in the canopy 19. The inlet hole 19a is formed on the front side of the upper part of the canopy 19. The inlet hole 19a is used to introduce a portion of the air passing toward the condenser 32 when the outdoor fan F2 is driven.

[0049] The outlet hole 19b is formed in the upper part of the canopy 19, at a portion rearward of the inlet hole 19a and close to the condenser 32. When the outdoor fan F2 is driven, the outlet hole 19b sends out the air that has been introduced through the inlet hole 19a and passed near the drain pipe 50 toward the condenser 32.

[0050] In the showcase 10 having the above-described configuration, when the circulation fan F1 and the compressor 31 are driven, air drawn in through the air inlet 15 passes through the lower air duct 21, the first rear-side air duct 22, and the storage box 23 in this order, and is cooled by the evaporator 34 inside the storage box 23. The air cooled by the evaporator 34 passes through the second rear-side air duct 24, the third rear-side air duct 25, and the upper air duct 26 in this order, and is blown out from the outlet 16. In other words, air is circulated between the storage chamber 12 and the air duct 20 by the circulation fan F1, while the compressor 31 cools the air circulated by the circulation fan F1.

[0051] In this way, by driving the circulation fan F1 and the compressor 31, the drain water generated in the evaporator 34 is collected in the evaporation pan 40 through the gutter.

[0052] In the showcase 10, when the outdoor fan F2 is driven, part of the drain water stored in the evaporation dish 40 is evaporated by the air passing around the condenser 32. When the outdoor fan F2 is driven, part of the air passing toward the condenser 32 is introduced into the canopy 19 through the inlet hole 19a, passes around the drain discharge pipe 50, and is then sent out toward the condenser 32 through the outlet hole 19b.

[0053] When the amount of drain water stored in the evaporation dish 40 reaches a predetermined amount, some of the drain water is supplied to the drain discharge pipe 50 by the drain water supply pipe 41. The drain water supplied to the drain discharge pipe 50 in this manner flows to the right according to the inclined extension of the drain discharge pipe 50, flows through the drain pipe 51, and then flows through the air conditioning drain pipe 2 to be discharged.

[0054] As described above, according to the showcase 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention, a drain drain pipe 50 is arranged in the canopy 19, which is the front end portion of the upper part of the case body 11 above the storage chamber 12, in a manner that gradually slopes downward from the left end to the right end along the width direction of the case body 11, and drain water is discharged through this drain drain pipe 50, so that even if a refrigeration circuit 30 is installed in the upper area of ​​the storage chamber 12, drain water can be discharged well while maintaining the volume of the storage chamber 12.

[0055] In particular, according to the showcase system 100 constructed by arranging such showcases 10 side by side, the showcases 10 are connected in a manner that allows communication with the drainage pipes 50 provided in the adjacent showcases 10 to form a single drainage pipeline 51, and drainage water is discharged through this drainage pipeline 51, so that the drainage water generated in each showcase 10 can be discharged in common, and construction for discharging the drainage water can also be made easy.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the showcase 10, a portion of the air passing toward the condenser 32 is introduced through the inlet hole 19a and passes around the drain pipe 50, and the air that has passed near the drain pipe 50 is sent out toward the condenser 32 through the outlet hole 19b, thereby suppressing the occurrence of condensation in the drain pipe 50.

[0057] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made.

[0058] Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of a modified example of the showcase 10 shown in Fig. 1, with a portion shown in cross section. Note that the same components as those in the showcase 10 described above are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0059] 3, in the modified example of the showcase 10, an evaporation dish 42 is provided instead of the evaporation dish 40. The evaporation dish 42 is installed with a portion thereof protruding inside the storage box 23, and is thermally connected to the condenser 32 by being in contact with it.

[0060] The evaporation dish 42 receives and stores drain water such as condensed water generated in the evaporator 34 through a drain water inlet pipe 43. A drain water supply pipe 44 is connected to the evaporation dish 42. The drain water supply pipe 44 supplies the drain water stored in the evaporation dish 42 to a drain discharge pipe 50.

[0061] Here, drain water inlet pipe 43 is connected near the bottom of evaporating pan 42, and drain water supply pipe 44 is connected near the top opening of evaporating pan 42. This allows evaporating pan 42 to temporarily store drain water introduced through drain water inlet pipe 43, and the drain water can be heated using the heat of condenser 32. In particular, outdoor fan F2 causes air heated by condenser 32 to pass near the top opening of evaporating pan 42, and the surface of the drain water temporarily stored in evaporating pan 42 becomes particularly heated.

[0062] Furthermore, since the drain water supply pipe 44 is connected near the upper opening of the evaporating dish 42, drain water sufficiently heated by the heat of the condenser 32 can be supplied to the drain discharge pipe 50. This makes it possible to prevent condensation from forming in the drain discharge pipe 50.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the inlet hole 19a and the outlet hole 19b are formed in the canopy 19, and by driving the outdoor fan F2, part of the air passing toward the condenser 32 passes around the drain discharge pipe 50. However, in the present invention, by installing a blower fan inside the canopy 19 and driving this blower fan, part of the air passing toward the condenser 32 may be forcibly introduced through the inlet hole 19a and forcibly sent out through the outlet hole 19b to the condenser 32. This also makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation in the drain discharge pipe 50.

[0064] Furthermore, in the present invention, a transfer member may be provided to transfer heat from the condenser 32 to the drain pipe 50, or a transfer means may be provided to transfer heat generated by the interior lighting member 60 to the drain pipe 50. These measures also make it possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation in the drain pipe 50.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, a portion of the air passing toward the condenser 32 passes around the drain pipe 50, but in the present invention, the air that has passed around the condenser 32 may also be configured to pass around the drain pipe 50. This also makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation in the drain pipe 50.

[0066] In the modified example shown in Fig. 3, drain water is temporarily stored in evaporating dish 42 and heated by the heat of condenser 32, but in the present invention, the form is not particularly limited as long as the heat of the condenser can be used to heat the drain water. Also, in the example shown in Fig. 3, inlet hole 19a and outlet hole 19b are formed in canopy 19, but in the present invention, inlet holes etc. do not have to be formed as long as the drain water can be sufficiently heated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10...showcase, 11...case body, 11a...front opening, 12...storage room, 13...product placement shelf, 15...intake port, 16...air outlet, 19...canopy, 20...air duct, 21...lower air duct, 22...first rear air duct, 23...storage box, 24...second rear air duct, 25...third rear air duct, 26...upper air duct, 30...refrigeration circuit, 31...compressor, 32...condenser, 33...expansion mechanism, 34...evaporator, 35...refrigerant piping, 40...evaporation pan, 41...drain water supply pipe, 50...drain drain pipe, 51...drainage pipe, 60...interior lighting component, 100...showcase system, F1...circulation fan, F2...outdoor fan.

Claims

1. an air circulation means for circulating air between a storage chamber defined inside the case body and an air duct provided inside the case body in a manner communicating with the storage chamber; a cooling means that is installed in an upper region of the storage chamber in the case body and that cools the air circulated by the air circulation means; A showcase that keeps the products stored in the storage chamber in a cooled state, a drainage pipe disposed at the front end portion of the upper portion of the case body above the storage chamber, inclined gradually downward from one end to the other end along the width direction of the case body, and through which drain water generated by an evaporator constituting the cooling means flows and is discharged; an introduction hole formed in a front end portion of an upper portion of the case body, for introducing a portion of air passing through the case body toward a condenser constituting the cooling means; a delivery hole formed in the front end portion, for delivering the air introduced through the introduction hole and passing near the drain pipe toward the condenser; A showcase characterized by comprising:

2. The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising a blower fan disposed at the front end portion, forcibly introducing a portion of the air passing toward the condenser through the inlet hole and forcibly sending the air to the condenser through the outlet hole.

3. 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the drain water is heated by utilizing heat from a condenser constituting the cooling means and is then made to flow into the drain pipe.

4. 4. The showcase according to claim 3, further comprising an evaporation tray for temporarily storing the drain water and thermally connected to the condenser.

5. 3. The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer member for transferring heat from a condenser constituting the cooling means to the drain pipe.

6. An interior lighting member provided at the front end portion and illuminating the storage chamber; a transmission means for transmitting heat generated by the interior lighting member to the drain discharge pipe; 3. The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. A showcase system configured by arranging a plurality of showcases according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in parallel, A showcase system characterized in that the drain pipe is connected in a manner that it communicates with a drain pipe provided in an adjacent showcase.

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