Cooling storage

Abstract

To provide a cooling storage capable of suppressing dew condensation on a side wall.SOLUTION: A cooling storage 1 includes: a heat insulation housing 10 having a storage chamber 17 for storing an object to be stored; a cooling device 20 for cooling the storage chamber 17; and a blower unit 30 provided on the outside of the heat insulation housing 10, and capable of blowing air along an outer surface of the side wall of the heat insulation housing 10. The blower unit 30 includes: an outer box 30A having an inflow hole 35A and an outflow hole H1; and a blower fan 33. The blower unit 30 is included on a bottom surface 10B of the heat insulation housing 10 in a posture where a long hole H1 is disposed above, and is included in such a manner that part of the outer box 30A protrudes from the bottom surface 10B so that the long hole H1 faces a right side wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This technology relates to a cooling storage cabinet.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a cooling storage cabinet that cools the interior of a storage chamber composed of a heat-insulating housing and stores the stored items accommodated in this storage chamber in a cooled state. Regarding this cooling storage cabinet, various measures have been taken to prevent condensation due to the temperature difference between the outside air and the inside of the cabinet. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a cooling storage cabinet provided with a water absorption / discharge member that absorbs and discharges water at the molecular level at at least a part of the location in contact with the outside air.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, condensation in a cooling storage cabinet is likely to occur significantly, for example, at the seal portion of a door attached to the front opening of the storage chamber. The water absorption / discharge member disclosed in Patent Document 1 is useful as an anti-condensation means for dealing with such local condensation. However, depending on the installation conditions of the cooling storage cabinet, condensation may occur over a wide range of the side wall of the cooling storage cabinet. Condensation occurring on the side wall of the cooling storage cabinet can cause problems in terms of hygiene, and in addition, when water droplets generated by the condensation drip onto the installation surface of the cooling storage cabinet, it can be a problem for facilities that employ a dry floor or a water leakage detection floor.

[0005] This technology has been completed based on the above circumstances, and its object is to suppress the occurrence of condensation on the side wall of the cooling storage cabinet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The cooling storage unit according to this technology comprises an insulated enclosure having a storage chamber for storing items to be stored, a cooling device for cooling the storage chamber, and a blower unit provided on the outside of the insulated enclosure and capable of blowing air along the outer surface of the side wall of the insulated enclosure. The insulated enclosure of the cooling storage unit has an insulated material filled inside a hollow enclosure, making it difficult for cold air inside the unit to be transmitted to the outside. However, strictly speaking, cold air inside the unit can be transmitted to the outer surface of the insulated enclosure by traveling along the enclosure. In such cases, if the area around the cooling storage unit is widely open, the insulated enclosure will quickly exchange heat with the surrounding atmosphere, so the temperature of the outer surface will not differ significantly from the ambient temperature, and there will be no concern about condensation. However, for example, if multiple cooling storage units are installed close together or installed against a wall, making heat exchange difficult, the temperature of the outer surface of the insulated enclosure will decrease, making it easier for condensation to occur on the outer surface of the cooling storage unit. With the above configuration, air can be blown along the outer surface of the side wall of the insulated enclosure by the blower unit, promoting heat exchange on the outer surface of the insulated enclosure. As a result, condensation can be suppressed even if the area around the cooling storage facility is not widely open.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of this technology, the insulated housing is provided with legs that support it from below, and the blower unit comprises an outer box having an air intake hole and an air outlet hole, and a blower fan housed inside the outer box, wherein the outer box is provided on the bottom surface of the insulated housing with the air outlet hole positioned upwards, and a portion of it protrudes from the bottom surface so that the air outlet hole faces the side wall. With this configuration, the blower unit is installed between the bottom surface and the floor surface with the portion of the insulated housing having the air outlet hole protruding from it. With this configuration, in addition to the above effects, the blower unit can suitably blow air along the side wall. Furthermore, the blower unit can be installed in the cooling storage without requiring extra installation space. As a result, heat exchange on the outer surface of the insulated housing can be promoted more effectively.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of this technology, the outer casing is provided with a second outlet on a side facing a different direction from the side that protrudes from the bottom surface in the direction along the bottom surface. With this configuration, the blower unit can create airflow along the bottom surface in addition to airflow along the side surface of the insulated casing. For example, by providing an outlet on a side facing the opposite side from the side that protrudes from the bottom surface of the outer casing, airflow toward the center of the bottom surface can be created. This promotes heat exchange on the bottom surface of the insulated casing as well, and can more effectively prevent condensation on the outer surface of the insulated casing.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of this technology, the heat-insulating housing is provided with an attachment portion made of a magnetic material, and the blower unit is provided with a magnetic portion that can be attached to the heat-insulating housing by attaching to the attachment portion. With this configuration, the blower unit can be easily attached to the heat-insulating housing without using special fasteners or the like. In addition, the blower unit can be easily attached and detached, and the blower unit can be easily installed at an appropriate time depending on the installation conditions of the cooling storage facility.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of this technology, the legs comprise a first leg that supports the heat-insulating housing in a first position and a second leg that supports it in a second position different from the first position, and the outer casing comprises a pair of mounting pieces extending in one direction and the other at its upper end, and the pair of mounting pieces are attached to the heat-insulating housing by being sandwiched between the first leg and the second leg and the heat-insulating housing, respectively. With this configuration, the blower unit can be attached to the heat-insulating housing with ease of work without using special fasteners or the like. Furthermore, vibrations during the operation of the blower fan and cooling device prevent the blower unit from shifting or falling off. This effect is further enhanced when the legs are configured to be fastened to the heat-insulating housing. In addition, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of this technology, the outer casing comprises a slide case that opens upward and houses the blower fan; a base portion provided on the bottom surface of the insulated casing and having the outlet hole; and a guide case having a pair of guide portions that extend downward from one end and the other end of the base portion along one direction and extend in opposing directions to support the slide case from below. With this configuration, the blower unit can be easily attached to the insulated casing without using special fasteners or the like. Furthermore, the blower unit can be easily attached and detached, and can be easily installed when needed depending on the installation conditions of the cooling storage unit, and the configuration can be made to be easy to maintain.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of this technology, the insulated enclosure comprises a storage body in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having an opening at the front, and a door that can open and close the opening, wherein the side wall is at least one of a left wall located to the left of the storage body and a right wall located to the right, and at least one end of the side wall in the front-rear direction is provided with a plate-shaped air guide that rises outward in the left-right direction and extends vertically along the side wall. With this configuration, it is possible to restrict the situation in which the airflow generated from the air blower unit along the side wall deviates from the side wall toward the front or rear. This promotes the generation of airflow in the vertical direction, and the sides of the cooling storage can be cooled more effectively. This configuration is particularly effective when a single air blower unit has multiple fans or when it generates a strong airflow.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of this technology, the air blower guide is made of an opaque material and has a transparent window portion in part thereof. With this configuration, the presence or absence of condensation on the side wall can be visually confirmed through the window portion. This makes it possible, for example, to start the operation of the air blower unit when condensation occurs, or to stop the operation of the air blower unit when the condensation has been resolved. As a result, the operating cost of the air blower unit can be reduced.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present technology, the heat insulation housing includes a box-shaped storage body having an opening at the front and a door capable of opening and closing the opening, and the dimension of the heat insulation housing in the height direction is larger than the dimension in the front-rear direction of the heat insulation housing. For a cooling storage, the larger the dimension in the height direction, the more likely condensation occurs when the periphery is not widely open. The above configuration is suitable for application to a vertical cooling storage with a large dimension in the vertical direction because the effect can be more effectively exerted.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present technology, for example, even if the periphery of the side wall of the cooling storage is not widely open, the occurrence of condensation on the side wall of the cooling storage can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] Perspective view from above of a cooling storage according to an embodiment [Figure 2] Side sectional view of the cooling storage in FIG. 1 [Figure 3] Enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 1 [Figure 4] Perspective view of the main part when the cooling storage in FIG. 1 is viewed from below [Figure 5] Exploded perspective view of the air blowing unit provided in the cooling storage of FIG. 1 <00​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ [Figure 13] Perspective view illustrating a blower guide according to another embodiment [Figure 14] Exploded perspective view of the blower guide of FIG. 13 [Figure 15] Perspective view illustrating a blower guide according to another embodiment [Figure 16] Perspective view of a main part of a cooling refrigerator according to another embodiment [Figure 17] Perspective view of a blower unit provided in the cooling refrigerator of FIG. 16 [Figure 18] Perspective view of a main part of a cooling refrigerator according to another embodiment [Figure 19] Exploded perspective view of a blower unit provided in the cooling refrigerator of FIG. 18

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] ≪Embodiment 1≫ A cooling refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 6. In this embodiment, a commercial cooling refrigerator 1 used in a cooking place such as a hotel or a restaurant is exemplified. This cooling refrigerator 1 can store a relatively large amount of foodstuffs etc. (an example of a storage object), and is configured to maintain high cooling performance even when the door 16 is frequently opened and closed, for example. And, this cooling refrigerator 1 is provided with a blower unit 30. The reference signs F, Rr, L, R, U, D shown in the drawings represent the front (front), rear (back), left, right, top, and bottom when the cooling refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front, respectively. However, these directions are merely defined for convenience and should not be construed restrictively. Also, for a plurality of identical members, one member may be labeled with a reference sign and the reference signs of other members may be omitted.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cooling storage unit 1 is mainly composed of an insulated enclosure 10 that is roughly rectangular in shape overall, and this insulated enclosure 10 is supported by legs 2. The insulated enclosure 10 in this embodiment is designed so that the height dimension is sufficiently (for example, 1.5 times or more) greater than the depth dimension compared to, for example, a table-type (horizontal) cooling storage unit. The insulated enclosure 10 broadly comprises a storage unit body 11 and partition columns 11B. The storage unit body 11 is box-shaped with an opening 11A on one front side, and is constructed by housing an inner box 13 made of stainless steel plate inside an outer box 12 made of stainless steel plate. The gap between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13 is filled with an insulating material 14 made of foamed resin such as foamed urethane. The partition columns 11B are cross-shaped and are fixed to the storage unit body 11 so as to cross the opening 11A at the center in the left-right direction and the center in the height direction. As a result, the opening 11A is divided into four sections: top, bottom, left, and right.

[0019] An insulated door 16 (an example of a door) is installed in the opening 11A of the storage unit body 11. More specifically, a total of four insulated doors 16 are rotatably mounted on the upper and lower parts of the left peripheral edge and the upper and lower parts of the right peripheral edge of the front surface of the storage unit body 11, which surrounds the opening 11A. The four insulated doors 16 are designed to cover each of the four sections of the opening, which are divided into upper, lower, left, and right sections. By closing the opening 11A of the storage unit body 11 with these insulated doors 16, a refrigerator compartment 17 (an example of a storage compartment) is formed. By opening and closing these doors 16, items to be stored can be loaded into and unloaded from the refrigerator compartment 17. Each insulated door 16 is fitted with a sealing means, such as a magnetic packing (not shown), at the door periphery that faces the insulated housing 10 and the partition column 11B when the insulated door 16 is closed. By providing a sealing mechanism in the insulated door 16 in this way, the airtightness (and consequently, the insulation) of the refrigerator compartment 17 is enhanced.

[0020] Above the insulated casing 10 are a cooling device 20 for cooling the refrigerator compartment 17 and a control device 70 for controlling various operations of the cooling device 20. The cooling device 20 is a heat exchanger with a refrigerant flow path inside a refrigerant pipe 26 (also called a heat transfer pipe), and comprises a compressor 21, a condenser 22, an expansion valve 23 (capillary tube), and a cooler 24 (evaporator). These are connected in this order by the refrigerant pipe 26 to form a known refrigeration cycle. More specifically, the compressor 21, condenser 22, and expansion valve 23 of the cooling device 20, along with the control device 70, are located in a machine room 19 partitioned above the outside of the insulated casing 10. In the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant gas is compressed by the compressor 21, liquefied in the condenser 22, and then sent to the expansion valve 23. The cooler 24 of the cooling device 20 is installed together with the internal fan 25 in the refrigerator compartment 17, which is partitioned above the refrigerator compartment 17. The liquefied refrigerant expands after passing through the expansion valve 23 and vaporizes in the evaporator tube 24, thereby cooling the evaporator tube 24. In the refrigerator compartment 17, the internal fan 25 draws in air from inside the compartment, which is then cooled as it passes over or around the cooler 24, becoming cold air that is sent into the refrigerator compartment 17. The control device 70 appropriately controls the operation of the cooling device 20 and the internal fan 25 based on the temperature detected by an internal thermometer (not shown). As a result, the internal temperature of the refrigerated storage unit 1 is cooled and maintained at a predetermined set temperature.

[0021] The insulated housing 10 is provided with legs 2 on the periphery of its bottom surface 10B, and the insulated housing 10 is supported from below by the legs 2. More specifically, the insulated housing 10 of this embodiment is provided with one leg 2 at each of the four corners of its bottom surface 10B. The first leg 2A, provided at the front right corner, and the second leg 2B, provided at the rear right corner, are used to attach the blower unit 30, which will be described later, to the bottom surface 10B. Hereafter, the front right and rear right legs 2 will be referred to as the first leg 2A and the second leg 2B, respectively, only when the first leg 2A and the second leg 2B are specifically mentioned. As shown in Figure 1, the leg 2 comprises a substantially cylindrical leg body 2C and a shaft 2D that protrudes coaxially from the upper end of the leg body 2C. Furthermore, mounting holes 10C (see Figure 12) are provided on the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10 at the mounting positions for the legs 2. The legs 2 are fixed to the insulated housing 10 by inserting and fitting the shaft portion 2D of the legs 2 into these mounting holes 10C. As a result, the insulated housing 10 is supported by the four legs 2 at a height equal to the height of the legs 2 above the floor surface. Note that screw grooves and screw threads may be provided in the mounting holes 10C and the shaft portion 2D, and they may be configured to screw together.

[0022] The outside of the insulated enclosure 10 is equipped with a ventilation unit 30 that can blow air along the outer surface of the side wall of the insulated enclosure 10. In this embodiment, the ventilation unit 30 is provided on the right edge of the bottom surface 10B of the insulated enclosure 10. This ventilation unit 30 is configured to blow air along the outer surface of the right side wall 11C.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the blower unit 30 has a roughly elongated, flat rectangular parallelepiped shape in the front-to-back direction, with mounting pieces extending forward and backward in the front-to-back direction (one example of a direction). More specifically, the blower unit 30 comprises an upper case 31, a lower case 32, a fan 33, a fixing part 34, and a fan cover 35. In this embodiment, the upper case 31 and the lower case 32 are combined to form a flat rectangular parallelepiped outer casing 30A that houses the fan 33. This outer casing 30A is configured to also function as a duct for the fan 33. The upper case 31 and the lower case 32 are not limited to these, but may be made of at least one of metal and synthetic resin.

[0024] The upper case 31, as shown in Figure 5, for example, has a lid portion 31A corresponding to the top surface of the outer box 30A and a side portion 31B corresponding to the right side surface. Overall, it is a thin, roughly rectangular plate that is long in the front-to-back direction, and its cross-section is roughly L-shaped, with the right end being bent downwards at approximately 90 degrees. The right end of the lid portion 31A, which is continuous with the side portion 31B, is provided with an exhaust portion 31E that extends in a strip shape from front to back. This exhaust portion 31E is provided with a plurality of elongated holes H1 that penetrate in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the width (dimension in the left-to-right direction) of the exhaust portion 31E is set to approximately 1 to 5 cm (for example, 2 cm), and a plurality of elongated holes H1 (9 in the figure) are arranged in three rows. Mounting pieces 31C and 31D extend from the front and rear ends of the lid portion 31A in the front-to-back direction. The front mounting piece 31C has a notched hole C1 that penetrates from the left end toward the right. The rear mounting piece 31D has a notch hole C2 that extends forward from the rear end. However, the direction in which the notches C1 and C2 extend is not limited to this.

[0025] The lower case 32 has a bottom portion 32A corresponding to the bottom surface of the outer box 30A, a side portion 32B corresponding to the left side, a front portion 32C corresponding to the front, and a rear portion 32D corresponding to the rear, and as a whole it has a box shape that opens upward and to the right. The front portion 32C and the rear portion 32D are each provided with adjustment holes H2 (an example of a second outlet hole) for releasing air from inside the blower unit 30. In this embodiment, the adjustment holes H2 are a number of relatively small holes (four each in the front portion 32C and the rear portion 32D in the figure) formed in the front portion 32C and the rear portion 32D. Mounting pieces 32E and 32F are also extended in the front-rear direction from the front end and rear end of the lower case 32, respectively. The front mounting piece 32E has a notched hole C3 that enters from the left end toward the right. The rear mounting piece 32F has a notch hole C4 that extends from the rear end toward the front. However, the direction in which the notches C3 and C4 extend is not limited to this. Also, the bottom portion 32A of the lower case 32 has a mounting hole C5 for attaching the fan 33. The fan 33 is inserted through the mounting hole C5 and supported by the lower case 32 via a fixing portion 34.

[0026] The fan 33 is a device capable of sending gas in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the fan 33 is an axial flow fan that generates wind in the direction of the rotation axis of the propeller 33A (see Figure 6) by rotating a propeller 33A (see Figure 6) which has multiple blades fixed to a hub that serves as the center of rotation. The rotation axis of this propeller 33A is arranged along the vertical direction, and the angle of the propeller 33A is set so that air is drawn in from below and sent upward. In this fan 33, the upper part of the propeller 33A is covered by a fan case, and the air sent upward by the propeller 33A hits the case and is then sent radially to the side. The fan 33 in this embodiment is a fan motor with an electric motor (not shown) integrated into it. This fan 33 is electrically connected to the control device 70 via a wiring section 33B, and is configured so that operation and stopping can be controlled by the control device 70. However, the configuration of the fan 33 is not limited as long as it is capable of sending gas along the outer surface of the side wall of the insulated housing 10 as described above. For example, the fan 33 may be operated by an external power supply, and may also be an axial flow fan, a mixed flow fan, a transverse flow fan, or a blower other than a propeller fan.

[0027] The fixing part 34 is installed around the mounting hole C5 and is an element that fixes the fan 33 to the lower case 32 with the fan 33 inserted through the mounting hole C5. The fixing part 34 adjusts the mounting position of the fan 33 so that the air intake of the fan 33 is positioned below the lower case 32 (in other words, outside the outer casing 30A) and the air exhaust is positioned above the lower case 32 (in other words, inside the outer casing 30A). The fan 33 and the mounting hole C5 are covered from below by a fan cover 35 which has an air intake hole 35A. The presence of the fan cover 35 on the lower case 32 prevents the fan 33 from being damaged by contact with other components, even if it protrudes below the bottom 32A of the lower case 32.

[0028] By stacking the upper case 31 and the lower case 32, the top and right sides of the lower case 32 are covered by the lid 31A and side 31B of the upper case 31, forming the outer casing 30A of the flat rectangular air blower unit 30. When the upper case 31 and the lower case 32 are stacked, the notches C1 and C2 provided in the mounting pieces 31C and 31D of the upper case 31 and the notches C3 and C4 provided in the mounting pieces 32E and 32F of the lower case 32 overlap. Furthermore, the positions and depths (lengths) of the notches C1, C2 and C3, C4 are configured such that when the air blower unit 30 is mounted in the insulated housing 10, part or all of the exhaust section 31E protrudes to the right from the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10. The exhaust section 31E is typically designed so that at least half (for example, at least two-thirds, preferably the entirety) of its width protrudes from the insulated housing 10. The blower unit 30 is fixed to the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10 with the upper case 31 and lower case 32 stacked on top of each other in this manner. In this embodiment, the blower unit 30 is mounted on the insulated housing 10 such that it protrudes approximately 20 mm to the right from the insulated housing 10.

[0029] When attaching the blower unit 30 to the insulated housing 10, for example, the following procedure may be used. First, loosen the first leg portion 2A and the second leg portion 2B from the mounting holes 10C, and create a gap between the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10 and the leg portion body 2C that is large enough to insert the upper case 31 and the lower case 32. Then, first, insert the mounting pieces 31D and 32F into the gap between the leg portion body 2C of the right rear second leg portion 2B and the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10, and adjust the position of the mounting pieces 31D and 32F so that the shaft portion 2D of the second leg portion 2B is inserted into the notched holes C2 and C4. Next, insert the mounting pieces 31C and 32E into the gap between the leg portion 2C of the right front first leg portion 2A and the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10, and adjust the position of 31C and 32E so that the shaft portion 2D of the first leg portion 2A is inserted into the notched holes C1 and C3. At this time, the upper case 31 and lower case 32 are first inserted from the right side or front of the insulated housing 10, and after the shaft portion 2D is inserted through the notches C2 and C4, the upper case 31 and lower case 32 are rotated clockwise around the shaft portion 2D to insert the shaft portion 2D of the first leg portion 2A through the notches C1 and C3. In this way, the notches C2 and C4 of one mounting piece 31D and 32F are provided along the longitudinal direction, and the notches C1 and C3 of the other mounting piece 31C and 32E are provided along the width direction (more precisely, along the arc direction centered on the notches C2 and C4), allowing the blower unit 30 to be attached to the insulated housing 10 more smoothly. In particular, the fact that the blower unit 30 can be attached and removed from the right side or front of the insulated housing 10 is beneficial because it improves the workability of maintenance of the blower unit 30. Subsequently, if necessary, the blower unit 30 can be fixed to the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10 by, for example, fastening the first leg portion 2A and the second leg portion 2B to the mounting hole 10C. When installing the blower unit 30, the upper case 31 and the lower case 32 may be installed simultaneously, or one may be installed first and the other later.

[0030] The cooling storage unit 1 with the above configuration comprises an insulated enclosure 10 having a refrigerator compartment 17 (storage room) for storing items to be stored, a cooling device 20 for cooling the refrigerator compartment 17, and a blower unit 30 provided on the outside of the insulated enclosure 10 and capable of blowing air along the outer surface of the right side wall (an example of a side wall) of the insulated enclosure 10. For example, if another cooling storage unit (not shown) or wall is located close to the cooling storage unit 1 (for example, at a distance of 2 cm or less) due to installation location restrictions, the area around the cooling storage unit 1 cannot be said to be widely open, making it difficult for heat exchange between the insulated enclosure 10 and the surrounding atmosphere to occur, causing the temperature of the outer surface of the insulated enclosure 10 to drop and making condensation more likely to occur. Such condensation can be particularly noticeable in high-humidity environments such as kitchens where cooking takes place. However, with the above configuration, the blower unit 30 can blow ambient air along the outer surface of the right side wall (an example of a side wall) of the insulated enclosure 10 by rotating the fan 33, thereby promoting heat exchange between the outer surface of the insulated enclosure 10 and the air. As a result, condensation can be suppressed even if the area around the cooling storage unit is not widely open. Furthermore, even when the distance between adjacent cooling storage units or walls is narrowed, dripping of condensation water onto the floor can be prevented, which can be particularly useful when the cooling storage unit 1 is installed on a dry floor or a leak detection floor.

[0031] The cooling storage unit 1 with the above configuration is equipped with legs 2 that support the insulated enclosure 10 from below, and the blower unit 30 is box-shaped and comprises an outer casing 30A having an inlet hole 35A for taking in air and an elongated hole H1 (an example of an outlet hole) for sending out air, and a fan 33 (an example of a blower fan) housed inside the outer casing 30A. The outer casing 30A is installed on the bottom surface 10B of the insulated enclosure 10 in a position where the elongated hole H1 is positioned upwards, and a part of the outer casing 30A protrudes from the bottom surface 10B so that the elongated hole H1 faces the right side wall. With the above configuration, the blower unit 30 is installed between the bottom surface 10B of the insulated enclosure 10 and the floor surface (the installation surface of the cooling storage unit 1) with only the portion of the elongated hole H1 protruding to the right from the right side wall of the insulated enclosure 10. As a result, the blower unit 30 can be installed in the cooling storage unit 1 without requiring extra installation space compared to cases such as when the blower unit 30 is attached to the right side wall. Furthermore, when the fan 33 of the blower unit 30 rotates, the air below the blower unit 30 is drawn into the outer casing 30A and discharged through the elongated hole H1, causing the outer casing 30A to function as a duct. This effectively promotes heat exchange on the outer surface of the right side wall of the insulated enclosure 10, thereby more effectively suppressing the occurrence of condensation.

[0032] In the cooling storage unit 1 with the above configuration, the outer box 30A is provided with adjustment holes H2 (second outlet holes) and inlet holes on the sides (in this case, the front portion 32C and the rear portion 32D) that are on sides different from the side that protrudes from the bottom surface 10B in the direction along the bottom surface 10B. With the above configuration, the blower unit 30 can take in air from below into the outer box 30A and discharge it from the elongated holes H1 and adjustment holes H2. As a result, heat exchange is promoted on the back wall of the cooling storage unit 1, and the occurrence of condensation on the back wall can be suppressed.

[0033] In the cooling storage unit 1 with the above configuration, the leg portion 2 includes a first leg portion 2A that supports the insulated housing 10 at the front right (first position) and a second leg portion 2B that supports it at the rear right (second position different from the first position). The outer casing 30A is provided with a pair of mounting pieces 31C, 32E and 31D, 32F that extend forward (one side) and backward (the other side) along the front-rear direction (one direction) at its upper end, and the pair of mounting pieces 31C, 32E and 31D, 32F are attached to the insulated housing 10 by being sandwiched between the first leg portion 2A and the second leg portion 2B and the insulated housing 10, respectively. With the above configuration, the blower unit 30 can be attached to the insulated housing 10 with ease of work by utilizing the leg structure of the conventional cooling storage unit 1 without using special fasteners or the like. In addition, vibrations when the blower fan 33 and cooling device 20 are driven will prevent the blower unit 30 from shifting or falling off. This effect is further enhanced when the leg portion 2 can be fastened to the insulated housing 10. In addition, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0034] In the above-described cooling storage unit 1, there is an insulated enclosure 10, a box-shaped storage unit body 11 having an opening 11A at the front, and an insulated door 16 (door) that covers the opening 11A. The height dimension of the insulated enclosure 10 is larger than the front-to-back dimension of the insulated enclosure 10. Vertical cooling storage units with a large vertical dimension (height) are more prone to condensation when there is a narrow gap between them and adjacent cooling storage units or walls, compared to horizontal cooling storage units with a smaller height dimension. Therefore, the above configuration is preferable to apply to vertical cooling storage units with a large vertical dimension, as this allows them to better demonstrate their effectiveness.

[0035] <<Embodiment 2>> The blower unit 130 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figure 7. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that the lower case 132 of the blower unit 130 is provided with an adjustment hole H3 (another example of the second outlet hole) separate from the adjustment hole H2. The other configurations may be the same as those of Embodiment 1, and a description of the same configurations, operations, and effects will be omitted.

[0036] More specifically, the adjustment hole H3 is formed on the side (in this case, the side portion 32B) of the outer casing 130A that faces the side (in this case, the left) opposite to the side (right) where the exhaust section 31E is located. The adjustment hole H3 is a through-hole with a larger area than the adjustment hole H2. With this configuration, the blower unit 30 can draw air from below the insulated casing 10 into the outer casing 30A using the fan 33 and discharge it through the elongated hole H1, the adjustment hole H2, and the adjustment hole H3. By rotating the fan 33 of the blower unit 130 in this way, it is possible to create airflow not only on the outer surface of the right side wall 11C of the insulated casing 10, but also along the bottom surface 10B of the insulated casing 10. Thus, by providing the adjustment hole H3 on the side of the exhaust section 31E, in other words, on the side portion 32B (side) that faces the side (left) opposite to the side (right) that extends beyond the bottom surface 10B of the outer casing 30A, airflow is created from the right side (outside) of the bottom surface 10B toward the center. This promotes heat exchange even on the bottom surface 10B of the insulated enclosure 10, and more effectively prevents condensation from occurring on the outer surface of the insulated enclosure 10.

[0037] <Embodiment 3> The cooling storage unit 201 according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 12. The cooling storage unit 201 of Embodiment 3 differs from Embodiments 1 and 2 in that the insulated casing 10 is equipped with an air blower guide 40. Other configurations may be the same as those of Embodiments 1 or 2, and a description of similar configurations, operations, and effects will be omitted.

[0038] More specifically, the insulated enclosure 10 of the cooling storage unit 201 comprises a storage unit body 11 with a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape having an opening 11A at the front, and an insulated door 16 (door) that can open and close the opening 11A. In addition, a blower guide 40 is provided on the right side wall 11C (side wall) of the storage unit body 11, extending vertically along the front end (at least one example in the front-to-back direction). The blower guide 40 is an element that restricts the air supplied by the blower unit 30 from diverting forward from the right side wall 11C midway through its vertical journey, and guides the airflow to reach above the right side wall 11C. The blower guide 40 comprises, for example, a guide body 41, an upper bracket 42, and a lower bracket 43, as shown in Figure 10. These guide body 41, upper bracket 42, and lower bracket 43 may be made of at least one of metal and synthetic resin, although this is not limited to these materials.

[0039] The guide body 41 has a shape resembling a long, strip-shaped plate bent into a U-shape in cross-section, and its length is approximately the same as the height dimension of the heat-insulating enclosure 10. The guide body 41 includes a front section 41A positioned on the front side, and a pair of side wall sections 41B, 41B extending backward from both ends of the front section 41A in the left-right direction. The guide body 41 is attached to the storage body 11 with the front section 41A positioned towards the front and one of the side wall sections 41B along the right-side wall 11C. The angle between the front section 41A and each of the side wall sections 41B, 41B is approximately 90 degrees, and when the guide body 41 is attached to the storage body 11, the front section 41A is configured to rise to the right (i.e., outward in the left-right direction) relative to the right-side wall 11C. The width of the front section 41A should be approximately the same as the overhang dimension of the blower unit 30 from the insulated housing 10 (approximately ±30%).

[0040] The upper bracket 42 and lower bracket 43 are mounting fixtures for attaching the guide body 41 to the heat-insulating housing 10, and each comprises connecting parts 42A and 43A that connect to the guide body 41, and mounting pieces 42B and 43B that connect to the heat-insulating housing 10. When the upper bracket 42 and lower bracket 43 are attached to the guide body 41, the mounting pieces 42B and 43B are configured to be substantially perpendicular to the front part 41A and the side wall parts 41B and 41B. The connecting parts 42A and 43A and the guide body 41 are connected, for example, by fasteners 44 such as screws. The mounting pieces 42B and 43B are each provided with notches C11 and C12. In the upper bracket 42 and lower bracket 43 of this embodiment, the notches C11 and C12 are provided to extend from the rear to the front. The mounting piece 42B of the upper bracket 42 is sandwiched between the upper surface 10D of the insulated housing 10 and the fixing jig 19B of the side plate portion 19A that partitions the machine room 19, as shown in Figure 11, and is fixed by a fastener 44. The shaft portion of the fastener 44 is inserted through the notch C11. The mounting piece 43B of the lower bracket 43 is sandwiched between the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10 and the leg portion 2 (first leg portion 2A), as shown in Figure 12, for example. The shaft portion 2D of the first leg portion 2A is inserted through the notch C12.

[0041] According to the above configuration, it is possible to restrict the situation in which the airflow generated from the blower unit 30 along the right side wall 11C deviates forward or backward midway along the right side wall 11C. This promotes the generation of airflow that passes through the right side wall 11C in the vertical direction, thereby promoting heat exchange on the side of the cooling storage unit 1. This configuration is particularly effective in preventing the generated airflow from escaping through gaps and allowing it to pass in the vertical direction when a single blower unit 30 is equipped with multiple fans 33 or when a strong airflow is generated. Furthermore, the blower guide 40 in the above configuration does not need to be attached by drilling holes directly into the insulated housing 10, and is removable, so it is preferable because it can be attached to the insulated housing 10 as needed without reducing the insulation performance of the insulated housing 10.

[0042] <Embodiment 4> The air blower guide 140 according to Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15. The air blower guide 140 of Embodiment 4 differs from that of Embodiment 3 in that it has an opening H4. The other configurations may be the same as those of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, and a description of similar configurations, operations, and effects will be omitted.

[0043] More specifically, the air blower guide 140 comprises a guide body 141 and a cover portion 143. The guide body 141 has an opening H4 in its front portion 141A, which is a hole that penetrates in the thickness direction. The guide body 141 of this embodiment has a plurality (in this case, four) of openings H4 that are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 13, for example. However, the guide body 141 may also have a single opening H4' that extends in the longitudinal direction, such as four openings H4 connected together, as shown in Figure 15, for example. The guide body 141 is opaque and is made of at least one of metal and synthetic resin. The cover portion 143 is an element that covers the opening H4 of the guide body 141 and is formed to a size that is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the front portion 141A, for example. The cover portion 143 is in the form of a transparent sheet and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin sheet. The cover portion 143 is attached to the guide body 141 between a pair of side wall portions 141B of the guide body 141 so as to close the opening H4. This creates a window portion W in the guide body 141 that allows the view to be seen from the opposite side in the front-to-back direction.

[0044] In the blower guide 140 with the above configuration, the guide body 141 is made of an opaque material and has a transparent window W in a part of it. The window W may be a single relatively large window or a series of relatively small windows. With this configuration, the presence or absence of condensation on the right side wall 11C can be visually confirmed through the window W. This makes it possible, for example, to start the operation of the blower unit 30 when condensation occurs, or to stop the operation of the blower unit 30 when the condensation has been resolved. As a result, the operating cost of the blower unit 30 can be reduced.

[0045] <Embodiment 5> The cooling storage unit 201 of Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to Figures 16 and 17. The cooling storage unit 201 according to Embodiment 5 differs from Embodiments 1 to 4 in that the configuration of the outer casing 230A of the blower unit 230 is different. The other configurations may be the same as those of any of Embodiments 1 to 4, and a description of similar configurations, operations, and effects will be omitted.

[0046] The storage unit body 11 of the cooling storage unit 201 has an outer casing 12, including the bottom surface 10B, made of stainless steel plate (an example of a magnetic material), and the bottom surface 10B functions as an attachment surface to which magnets can be magnetically attached. In addition, the outer casing 230A of the blower unit 230 does not have an upper case, but only a lower case 232.

[0047] The lower case 232 has a bottom portion 32A corresponding to the bottom surface of the outer box 30A, a side portion 32B corresponding to the left side surface of the outer box 30A, a front portion 32C corresponding to the front surface of the outer box 30A, a rear portion 32D corresponding to the rear surface of the blower unit 30, a side portion 32G corresponding to the right side surface of the outer box 30A, and an exhaust portion 32H corresponding to a part of the top surface. The outer box 230A is roughly box-shaped with an opening facing upwards, and the exhaust portion 32H is provided in a strip shape along the right end of the top surface. The width dimension of the exhaust portion 32H is designed to be equal to the overhang dimension from the insulated housing 10, and the left end is folded upwards. This folded portion is used for alignment when attaching the outer box 230A to the insulated housing 10. Furthermore, magnetic parts 234, including magnets, are provided on the outside of the side portion 32B, the front portion 32C, and the rear portion 32D of the lower case 232. These three magnetic parts 234 are configured to be magnetically attached to the bottom surface 10B, which is the attachment surface, so that the blower unit 230 can be attached to the insulated housing 10.

[0048] According to the above configuration, the blower unit 230 can be easily attached to the insulated housing 10 by contact with the magnetic force, without the need for special fasteners or other devices, and without employing a complex mounting structure. Furthermore, the blower unit 230 can be easily attached to and detached from the insulated housing 10, and is suitable because it can be easily attached when needed depending on the installation conditions of the cooling storage facility.

[0049] <Embodiment 6> The cooling storage unit 301 according to Embodiment 6 will be described with reference to Figures 18 and 19. The cooling storage unit 301 of Embodiment 6 differs from Embodiments 1 to 5 in that the bottom surface 10B of the insulated enclosure 10 and the outer casing 330A of the blower unit 330 are different. The other configurations may be the same as those of any of Embodiments 1 to 5, and a description of similar configurations, operations, and effects will be omitted.

[0050] The outer casing 330A includes a guide case 331 and a slide case 332. The slide case 332 has a box-like shape that opens upwards by providing a side portion 331E corresponding to the right side portion of the lower case 32 of Embodiment 1. Furthermore, the slide case 332 has a configuration in which the front and rear mounting pieces 32E and 32F of the lower case 32 have been removed.

[0051] One guide case 331 is configured such that a pair of guide brackets 31G, 31G (an example of a guide part) are attached to the lower surface of the lid portion 31A of the upper case 31 of Embodiment 1, at the front (one) and rear (the other) ends, respectively, along the front-rear direction (an example of one direction). Each of the guide brackets 31G, 31G is a plate piece with a roughly Z-shaped cross-section, and comprises a base portion 31G1, 31G1, a wall portion 31G2, 31G2, and a support portion 31G3, 31G3. The base portions 31G1, 31G1 are the parts fixed to the lower surface of the lid portion 31A of the upper case 31. The wall portions 31G2, 31G2 extend downward from the base portions 31G1, 31G1 and are parts that face each other at their ends in the front-rear direction. The support portions 31G3, 31G3 are parts that extend from the lower ends of the wall portions 31G2, 31G2 toward opposite sides. Similar to the upper case 31 of Embodiment 1, such a guide case 331 is sandwiched between the leg portion 2 and the bottom surface 10B of the insulated housing 10 and attached to the insulated housing 10. The slide case 332 can be inserted into the space defined by the pair of guide brackets 31G, 31G by sliding it to the right, and the slide case 332 is supported from below by the support portions 31G3, 31G3 of the pair of guide brackets 31G, 31G.

[0052] In the above configuration, the outer casing 330A comprises a slide case 332 that opens upward and houses a blower fan 33, a guide case 331 (an example of a base) provided on the bottom surface 10B of the insulated casing 10 and having an elongated hole H1 (outlet hole), and a pair of guide brackets 31G, 31G (an example of guide parts) that extend downward at the front (one) and rear (the other) ends of the guide case 331 along the front-rear direction (an example of one direction) and extend in directions opposite to each other, enabling the guide case 331 to be supported from below. With this configuration, the slide case 332 is supported from below by the pair of guide brackets 31G, 31G and is slidable between the pair of guide brackets 31G, 31G in the left-right direction (for example, toward the center of the cooling storage compartment 301). With this configuration, the slide case 332 is supported so that it can be inserted into and removed from the guide case 331 without the use of special fasteners, and maintenance such as replacing the blower fan 33 can be easily performed.

[0053] <Other Embodiments> This technology is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope of this technology. (1) In the above embodiment, one fan 33 was provided in one blower unit 30, but the number of fans 33 provided in one blower unit 30 is not limited to this, and two or more fans 33 may be provided. In this case, naturally, the number of mounting holes C5 and fixing parts 34 provided in the lower case 32 (outer box 30A) can also be changed as appropriate. A blower unit with an increased number of fans 33 can be particularly effective, for example, when the outer box is provided with a large second outlet hole or a large number of second outlet holes, as in the blower unit of Embodiment 2, as it can discharge a sufficient amount of air from each outlet hole.

[0054] (2) In the above embodiment, the exhaust section 31E of the blower unit 30 was provided with nine elongated holes H1 in three rows. However, the shape of the exhaust port provided in the blower unit 30 is not limited to elongated holes, and may be any shape and any number. By configuring the exhaust port with a plurality of relatively small holes, there is an advantage that foreign matter such as dust is less likely to enter the inside of the blower unit 30. The exhaust port may be covered with a filter or the like, to the extent that it does not impair the purpose of the present invention.

[0055] (3) In the above embodiment, the shape of the notches C1 to C4 was straight, but the shape of the notches is not limited to this and may be curved, hook-shaped, etc. Also, in the above embodiment, the direction in which the notches C2 and C4 of one mounting piece 31D and 32F extend was different from the direction in which the notches C1 and C3 of the other mounting piece 31C and 32E extend was different, but the direction in which all the notches extend may be the same. For example, all the notches may be provided along the width direction, and the notches may be fitted to the shafts of the first and second legs by moving the blower unit in the width direction (from a position far from the cooling storage unit towards it). In this case, there is an advantage that the amount of overhang of the exhaust part of the blower unit can be easily adjusted.

[0056] (4) In the above embodiment, the air vent guide was provided only at the front end of the right side wall of the cooling storage unit. However, the air vent guide is not limited to being provided on the right side wall, but may be provided on one or more of the right side wall, left side wall, or rear side wall (back wall). Furthermore, the air vent guide is not limited to being provided at the front ends of the left and right side walls, but may be provided at the rear ends, or at both the front and rear ends of the cooling storage unit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1, 201, 301…Cooling storage unit (cooling storage unit), 2…Legs, 2A…First leg, 2B…Second leg, 10…Insulated enclosure, 10B…Bottom, 11…Storage unit body, 11A…Opening, 11C…Right side wall, 16…Door, 17…Refrigerated room (storage room), 20…Cooling device, 30, 130, 230, 330…Blower unit, 30A, 130A, 230A, 330A…Outer box, 31…Upper case, 31C, 31D…Mounting piece, 31E…Exhaust section, 31G, 31G…Guide bracket (guide part), 32…Lower case, 32E, 32F…Mounting piece, 40, 140…Blower guide

Claims

1. An insulated enclosure having a storage room for storing the items to be stored, A cooling device for cooling the storage chamber, A ventilation unit provided on the outside of the insulated housing, capable of blowing air along the outer surface of the side wall of the insulated housing, A machine room located above the exterior of the aforementioned insulated enclosure, The aforementioned heat-insulating housing comprises legs that support it from below, The insulated enclosure comprises a storage body in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having an opening at the front, and a door that can open and close the opening, and the side wall is at least one of a left wall located to the left of the storage body and a right wall located to the right, At least one end of the side wall in the front-rear direction is provided with a plate-shaped air guide extending over the entire vertical length of the side wall, for guiding the air supplied from the air blower unit to reach the upper part of the side wall. The aforementioned air blower guide comprises a guide body, an upper bracket, and a lower bracket. The vertical length of the guide body is approximately the same as the vertical dimension of the heat-insulating housing. The upper bracket is attached by being sandwiched between the upper surface of the heat-insulating housing and the side plate portion that partitions the machine room. The lower bracket is attached to the cooling storage unit by being sandwiched between the bottom surface of the insulated housing and the legs.

2. The cooling storage unit according to claim 1, wherein the air blower guide is made of an opaque material and has a transparent window portion in part thereof.

3. The aforementioned heat-insulating housing includes an attachment portion made of a magnetic material, The cooling storage cabinet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blowing unit is equipped with a magnetic portion that can be attached to the heat insulating housing by being attached to the attachment portion.

4. The aforementioned insulated enclosure comprises a box-shaped storage body having an opening at the front, and a door that can open and close the opening. The cooling storage cabinet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the height dimension of the insulated enclosure is greater than the front-to-back dimension of the insulated enclosure.

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