Transport refrigerator

Abstract

Provided is a transport refrigerator that is capable of preventing occurrence of temperature non-uniformity in a cooling chamber and having an improved temperature distribution in the cooling chamber. A transport refrigerator (10A) comprises: a cooling means (11) that is provided on the front surface (3) side of a cooling chamber (2) of a transport refrigeration vehicle, and that supplies cold air into the cooling chamber (2); and a flow straightening plate (14) that has formed therein a plurality of openings connecting the ceiling (4) side and the bottom (6) side of the cooling chamber (2), and that is provided so as to form, between the flow straightening plate (14) and the ceiling (4) of the cooling chamber (2), a flow path (13) through which the cold air supplied from the cooling means (11) flows to the rear surface (5) side of the cooling chamber (2). The plurality of openings are formed such that an opening located on the rear surface (5) side of the cooling chamber (2) has a larger area per prescribed region than that of an opening located on the front surface (3) side of the cooling chamber.

Description

Refrigerator for transportation

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator for transportation.

[0002] In a refrigerated vehicle for transportation, generally, a cold storage means having an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle and a blower fan for blowing cold storage chamber air to the evaporator is equipped inside the cold storage chamber, and the cold air cooled by the evaporator is circulated inside the cold storage chamber to keep the cold storage of frozen and refrigerated products in the cold storage chamber. As a conventional technology of a refrigerated vehicle for transportation, for example, Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-51535

[0004] When arranging the cold storage means on the front side of the cold storage chamber in a refrigerated vehicle for transportation, there may be a problem that cold air cannot be sufficiently supplied to the rear side of the cold storage chamber, resulting in temperature unevenness in the cold storage chamber.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, a duct is installed at the air outlet of the cooling unit to make cold air reach the rear side of the cold storage chamber in an attempt to equalize the temperature inside the chamber. However, due to the pressure loss of the duct, the air volume blown into the cold storage chamber decreases toward the rear side of the cold storage chamber, so there is still a problem that temperature unevenness may occur.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator for transportation that can prevent the occurrence of temperature unevenness in the cold storage chamber and improve the temperature distribution in the cold storage chamber.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the refrigerator for transportation of the present disclosure is provided on the front side of the cold storage chamber of a refrigerated vehicle for transportation, and includes cold storage means for supplying cold air into the cold storage chamber, and a rectifying plate provided so that a flow path through which the cold air supplied from the cold storage means flows to the rear side of the cold storage chamber is formed between the ceiling of the cold storage chamber, and a plurality of openings are formed through the ceiling side and the bottom side of the cold storage chamber, and the plurality of openings are formed such that the opening area per predetermined region is larger on the rear side than on the front side of the cold storage chamber. <00000The transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure can prevent temperature unevenness within the cold storage compartment and improve the temperature distribution within the cold storage compartment.

[0009] This is a schematic perspective view of a cold storage unit equipped with a transport refrigeration unit according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a top view showing an example of a rectifier plate according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a top view showing another example of a rectifier plate according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic perspective view of a cold storage unit equipped with a transport refrigeration unit according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. This is a top view showing an example of a guide member according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. This is a top view showing another example of a guide member according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic perspective view of a cold storage unit equipped with a transport refrigeration unit according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. This is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a plurality of rectifier plates according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. This is a top view showing an example of a plurality of rectifier plates according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic perspective view of a cold storage unit equipped with a transport refrigeration unit according to the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. This is a plan view showing an example of a guide member according to the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic perspective view of a cold storage unit equipped with a transport refrigeration unit according to the fifth embodiment of this disclosure. This is a side cross-sectional view of Figure 12. This is a schematic perspective view of a cold storage unit equipped with a transport refrigeration unit according to the sixth embodiment of this disclosure. This is a side cross-sectional view of Figure 14. This is a schematic perspective view of a cold storage unit equipped with a transport refrigeration unit according to the seventh embodiment of this disclosure. This is a side cross-sectional view of Figure 16.

[0010] An embodiment of the transport refrigeration system according to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The transport refrigerator 10A according to this embodiment is provided on the front 3 side of the cold storage compartment 2 of a transport refrigerated vehicle such as a truck, and includes a cooling means 11 that supplies cold air into the cold storage compartment 2. The cooling means 11 has an outlet 12 that blows cold air into the cold storage compartment 2. An example of the cooling means 11 is a means that includes an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle and a blower fan that blows cold air.

[0012] A flow straightening plate 14 is provided at the top of the refrigerator 2, extending from the front 3 side (air outlet 12 side) to the rear 5 side. That is, the flow straightening plate 14 is provided so as to form a flow path 13 between it and the ceiling 4 of the refrigerator 2, through which the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 flows to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2. A gap (opening 15) is formed between the rear 5 side end of the flow straightening plate 14 and the rear 5. The opening 15 passes through the ceiling 4 side and the bottom 6 side of the refrigerator 2. The main stream of cold air blown out from the air outlet 12 of the cooling means 11 flows through the flow path 13, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 1, and then passes through the opening 15 and flows downward along the rear 5. After that, it flows along the bottom 6 of the refrigerator 2 to the front 3 side, flows upward along the front 3, and is sucked into the cooling means 11 by the intake port (not shown) of the cooling means 11. Furthermore, if there is luggage on the bottom 6 of the cooler 2, the cool air flowing from the rear 5 side will not necessarily follow the bottom 6, and some or all of the cool air will flow along the luggage towards the front 3 side.

[0013] In addition to the opening 15 formed at the rear end 5 of the rectifier plate 14, a plurality of openings 16 (not shown in Figure 1) are formed that pass through the ceiling 4 and bottom 6 sides of the refrigerator 2. Therefore, as shown by the black arrows in Figure 1, a portion of the main stream of cold air flowing through the flow path 13 flows from the ceiling 4 side to the bottom 6 side through the openings 16, from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2. The plurality of openings 15, 16 are formed such that the opening area per predetermined region is larger on the rear 5 side than on the front 3 side of the refrigerator 2. The plurality of openings 15, 16 may be two, or there may be three or more.

[0014] Next, an example of how the openings 16 in the rectifier plate 14 are formed will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The arrows indicate the direction in which the main flow of cold air occurs. As shown in Figure 2, the rectifier plate 14 has a plurality of openings 16 formed along its longitudinal direction. Each opening 16 is formed as an elongated slit that is long in the short direction of the rectangular rectifier plate 14. The plurality of openings 16 are formed with an unequal pitch, becoming denser from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side. In this way, the plurality of openings 15, 16 are formed such that the opening area per predetermined region is larger on the rear 5 side than on the front 3 side of the refrigerator 2 (from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2).

[0015] Next, Figure 3 will be shown to illustrate another example of how the openings 16 in the rectifier plate 14 are formed. The arrows indicate the direction in which the main flow of cold air is directed. As shown in Figure 3, the rectifier plate 14 has a plurality of openings 16 formed along its longitudinal direction. Each of the openings 16 is formed as a round hole. The multiple openings 16 are formed such that the diameter of the holes gradually increases from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side. In this way, the multiple openings 15, 16 are formed such that the opening area per unit area is larger on the rear 5 side than on the front 3 side of the refrigerator 2 (from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2).

[0016] As described above, this embodiment provides the following advantages. The transport refrigerator 10A of this embodiment is equipped with a flow guide plate 14 that forms a flow path between the ceiling 4 of the refrigerator 2 and the cool air supplied from the cooling means 11, allowing it to flow to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2. This ensures that cool air is supplied sufficiently to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2. Furthermore, in the transport refrigerator 10A of this embodiment, a plurality of openings 15, 16 are formed in the flow guide plate 14 that pass through the ceiling 4 side and the bottom 6 side of the refrigerator 2, and the plurality of openings 15, 16 are formed such that the opening area per predetermined region is larger on the rear 5 side than on the front 3 side of the refrigerator 2. If the opening area per predetermined region is the same from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2, the amount of cool air supplied to the rear 5 side may decrease due to the effect of pressure loss. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since openings 15 and 16 are formed in the rectifier plate 14 to take pressure loss into consideration as described above, the effect of pressure loss is reduced, and a sufficient amount of cold air can be supplied to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. As a result, temperature unevenness can be prevented inside the refrigerator 2, and the temperature distribution inside the refrigerator 2 can be improved.

[0017] The shape of the openings 16 formed in the rectifier plate 14 can be, for example, a slit or a round hole. Furthermore, "to increase the opening area per predetermined region" includes, for example, making the pitch of the openings 16 unequal, gradually narrowing from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2, gradually increasing the opening area of ​​the openings 16, and gradually increasing the number of openings 16. In addition, the openings 15 and 16 formed in the rectifier plate 14 also include gaps formed between the ends of the rectifier plate 14 and the ceiling 4 or side walls (rear 5), and slits formed between the ends of multiple rectifier plates 14.

[0018] In the transport refrigeration unit 10A of this embodiment, the number of openings 15, 16 can be three or more. This makes it possible to form the openings 15, 16 in a way that is more suitable for reducing the effects of pressure loss, for example, by gradually increasing the opening area of ​​the openings 15, 16 from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the refrigerated storage unit 2, compared to the case where there are only two openings.

[0019] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 4 to 6. In the transport refrigerator 10B of this embodiment, a guide member 21 is provided in place of the rectifier plate 14 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of other overlapping parts will be omitted. Also, the same reference numerals will be used for components that are the same as in the first embodiment, and their redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0020] In the transport refrigeration unit 10B of this embodiment, multiple guide members 21 (three in this embodiment) are provided on the ceiling 4 of the refrigerated storage unit 2, extending from the front 3 side (air outlet 12 side) to the rear 5 side of the refrigerated storage unit. The guide members 21 guide the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 to the rear 5 side of the refrigerated storage unit 2. This guides the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 in a straight line along the guide members 21 to the rear 5 side of the refrigerated storage unit 2.

[0021] The guide member 21 is made of a material with a higher thermal diffusivity than aluminum, which is the main material of the refrigerator. Note that thermal diffusivity is defined as λ / (Cp・ρ)(m ２ ρ is a numerical value expressed as λ, where λ is the thermal conductivity of the high thermal conductor (W / (m·K)), Cp is the specific heat of the high thermal conductor (J / (kg·K)), and ρ is the density of the high thermal conductor (kg / m³). ３ ) represents the thermal diffusivity. In other words, thermal diffusivity represents how easily heat is transferred. Examples of materials with a higher thermal diffusivity than aluminum include copper and graphite.

[0022] Next, an example of the shape of the guide member 21 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. The white arrows indicate the direction in which the main stream of cold air flows. As shown in Figure 5, the guide member 21 can be constructed by providing multiple (five in this embodiment) straight members extending from the front 3 side (air outlet 12 side) to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator. Making them straight makes it easier to manufacture and prepare the guide members.

[0023] Next, an example of the shape of the guide member 21 will be described with reference to Figure 6. The white arrows indicate the direction in which the main stream of cold air flows. As shown in Figure 6, the guide member 21 can be constructed by providing multiple (five in this embodiment) corrugated members that extend from the front 3 side (air outlet 12 side) to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator when viewed from the ceiling 4 side of the refrigerator. By using a corrugated shape for the guide member 21, the area in contact with the guide member 21 by the cold air can be increased, and the guide member 21 can be cooled more reliably. As a result, the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2 can be cooled more reliably.

[0024] As described above, this embodiment provides the following effects. The transport refrigerator 10B of this disclosure guides the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2 and is equipped with a guide member 21 that has a higher thermal diffusivity than aluminum. That is, the guide member 21 is made of a material that conducts heat more easily than aluminum, which is the main material of the refrigerator 2. As a result, the guide member 21 is sufficiently cooled by the cold air, which transfers heat from the front surface 3 side to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. Therefore, even if the cold air does not reach the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2, the cold air is released from the cooled guide member 21 to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2, thereby lowering the temperature on the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. As a result, the occurrence of temperature unevenness inside the refrigerator 2 can be prevented and the temperature distribution inside the refrigerator 2 can be improved.

[0025] [Third Embodiment] A third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 9. In the transport refrigerator 10C of this embodiment, a plurality of rectifier plates 31, 31' are provided instead of the rectifier plate 14 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of other overlapping parts will be omitted. Also, the same reference numerals will be used for components that are the same as in the first embodiment, and the redundant description will be omitted.

[0026] In the transport refrigeration unit 10C of this embodiment, a plurality of rectifier plates 31, 31' are provided on the ceiling 4 of the cold storage unit 2, extending from the front 3 side (air outlet 12 side) to the rear 5 side of the cold storage unit. More specifically, when viewed from the side of the cold storage unit 2, rectifier plates 31, whose central portion protrudes toward the ceiling 4 side, and rectifier plates 31', whose central portion protrudes toward the bottom 6 side, are alternately provided from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the cold storage unit. That is, when viewed from the side of the cold storage unit 2, the plurality of rectifier plates 31, 31' are arranged to form a wave shape.

[0027] The white arrows in Figure 7 indicate the main stream of cold air blown out from the outlet 12 of the cooling means 11. Here, as shown in Figure 8, the multiple rectifier plates 31, 31' are each arranged with gaps 32 in between along the direction of the cold air flow. Therefore, as the cold air blown out from the outlet 12 flows along the ceiling 4 from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the cooler 2, it is guided along the rectifier plates 31, 31' through the gaps 32 as shown in Figure 8. At that time, as shown by the black arrows in Figure 7 and the arrows in Figure 8, a portion of the cold air flowing over the surface of the rectifier plates 31, 31' separates from the surface and flows downwards towards the cooler.

[0028] Next, Figure 9 will be shown, and an example of the arrangement of the multiple rectifier plates 31, 31' according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, the multiple rectifier plates 31, 31' are arranged so that they are parallel to each other when viewed from above.

[0029] In this embodiment, one example described is the arrangement of multiple rectifier plates 31, 31' using plate materials with a curved central portion, arranged so that irregularities are formed alternately along the direction of cold air flow. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the multiple rectifier plates 31, 31' may have an airfoil shape or the like. Furthermore, the embodiment is not limited to using plate materials with the same dimensions in the longitudinal and transverse directions as multiple rectifier plates 31, 31', but may use materials with different dimensions.

[0030] As described above, this embodiment provides the following effects. The transport refrigerator 10C of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of rectifier plates 31, 31' that guide the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 from the front 3 side to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2, and that are arranged with gaps 32 between them so that irregularities are formed alternately along the direction of the cold air flow. That is, when viewed from the side of the refrigerator 2, the plurality of rectifier plates 31, 31' are arranged to form a wave shape. As a result, the rectifier plates 31, 31' can guide the cold air to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2, so that sufficient cold air can be supplied to the rear 5 side of the refrigerator 2. In particular, since the plurality of rectifier plates 31, 31' are arranged so that irregularities are formed alternately along the direction of the cold air flow, the cold air can flow along the surface of each rectifier plate 31, 31' due to the Coanda effect. Furthermore, since multiple rectifier plates 31, 31' are arranged with gaps 32 between them, when cold air flows over the surface of the rectifier plates 31, 31', some of the cold air separates from the surface and flows downwards into the refrigerator 2, thus enabling a uniform supply of cold air throughout the entire refrigerator 2. In this embodiment, by arranging multiple rectifier plates 31, 31' in a more open manner compared to a duct, about half of the cold air flowing in the front-to-back direction of the refrigerator 2 flows over the upper surface of the rectifier plates 31, 31'. This suppresses air separation due to density differences and reduces pressure loss, allowing cold air to be supplied to the rear side 5 of the refrigerator 2 with low resistance. As a result, temperature unevenness within the refrigerator 2 can be prevented, and the temperature distribution within the refrigerator 2 can be improved.

[0031] [Fourth Embodiment] Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. In the transport refrigerator 10D of this embodiment, a heat storage material 22 is provided in addition to the guide member 21 of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts that differ from the second embodiment will be described, and the description of other overlapping parts will be omitted. Also, the same reference numerals will be used for components that are the same as in the second embodiment, and their redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0032] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the heat storage material 22 is attached to the rear surface 5 side of the guide member 21 of the refrigerator 2. Specifically, the heat storage material 22 is provided at a position on the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2, which is more than halfway from the front surface 3. In this embodiment, the heat storage material 22 is positioned to be approximately 10% of the total length of the guide member 21 on the rear surface 5 side. The material of the heat storage material 22 can be a phase-change material (PCM). Usable phase-change materials include paraffin-based, non-paraffin-based (fatty acid-based, polyethylene-based), metallic, and non-metallic (salt hydrate, molten salt-based) materials. In this embodiment, considering the temperature range, paraffin-based and non-paraffin-based phase-change materials are more suitable.

[0033] Figure 11 is a plan view showing an example of a guide member 21 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, the heat storage material 22 is attached to surround the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 21 on the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. With this configuration, the heat storage material 22 is configured to receive cold and heat from the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 21.

[0034] As described above, this embodiment provides the following effects. In the transport refrigerator 10D of this embodiment, the heat storage material 22 is provided at a position on the rear side 5 of the refrigerator 2, which is halfway from the front 3. For example, if the length of the refrigerator 2 is 10 m, it is provided at a position on the rear side 5, which is 5 m from the front 3. This allows the cold energy transmitted from the guide member 21 to be stored in the heat storage material 22. Therefore, for example, when the temperature on the rear side 5 of the refrigerator 2 rises, such as when the door on the rear side 5 of the refrigerator 2 is opened, the cold energy stored in the heat storage material 22 can be released, thereby suppressing the temperature rise near the door, which has a high heat load.

[0035] [Fifth Embodiment] Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. In the transport refrigerator 10E of this embodiment, a rectifier plate 41 is provided in place of the rectifier plate 14 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of other overlapping parts will be omitted. Also, the same reference numerals will be used for components that are the same as in the first embodiment, and the redundant description will be omitted.

[0036] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, in this embodiment, the rectifier plate 41 is installed at an angle such that the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2 is closer to the ceiling 4 than the front surface 3 side. The rectifier plate 41 forms a flow path 13 between the ceiling 4 of the refrigerator 2 and the rectifier plate 41, through which the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 flows to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. Furthermore, by arranging the rectifier plate 41 at an angle as described above, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 13 is made smaller on the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2 than on the front surface 3 side. With this configuration, the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 is narrowed as it flows through the flow path 13, becoming a jet, so that sufficient cold air is supplied to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2, as shown in Figures 12 and 13.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upstream end 42 of the rectifier plate 41 is located closer to the ceiling 4 than the lower end 17 of the outlet 12 of the cooling means 11. As a result, a portion of the cold air blown out from the outlet 12 is blown out from below the rectifier plate 41 (towards the bottom 6). In this way, the cold air is supplied to a position that does not directly reach the cold air blown out from the flow path 13 (a position closer to the front 3 than the cold air blown out from the flow path 13).

[0038] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the rectifier plate 41 is installed at an angle such that the rear side 5 of the refrigerator 2 is closer to the ceiling 4 than the front side 3, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 13 is smaller on the rear side 5 than on the front side 3 of the refrigerator 2. However, the embodiment is not limited to this.

[0039] As described above, this embodiment provides the following effects. The transport refrigerator 10E of this embodiment has a flow path 13 formed between it and the ceiling 4 of the refrigerator 2 through which the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 flows to the rear surface 5 of the refrigerator 2, and is equipped with a flow straightening plate 41 that is provided such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 13 is smaller on the rear surface 5 side than on the front surface 3 side of the refrigerator 2. This allows sufficient cold air to be supplied to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. In particular, in the transport refrigerator 10E of this embodiment, the flow straightening plate 41 is provided such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 13 is smaller on the rear surface 5 side than on the front surface 3 side of the refrigerator 2, so that the cold air supplied from the cooling means 11 is narrowed as it approaches the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. This allows a jet of cold air to be ejected from the outlet of the flow path 13 toward the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2. The ejected cold air can reach the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2 more reliably due to inertial force. Therefore, a sufficient volume of cold air can be supplied to the rear side 5 of the refrigerator 2. This prevents temperature unevenness from occurring inside the refrigerator 2 and improves the temperature distribution inside the refrigerator 2.

[0040] [Sixth Embodiment] Hereinafter, a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. In the transport refrigerator 10F of this embodiment, rectifier plates 51 and 52 are provided in place of the rectifier plate 14 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and other overlapping parts will not be described. Also, components that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0041] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, in this embodiment, the rectifier plates 51 and 52 are provided such that the downstream end 53 in the direction of cold air flow is located closer to the ceiling of the refrigerator than the upstream end 54. A flow path opening (opening) 55 for the flow path 13 is formed at the downstream end 53 of the rectifier plate 51 (between the ceiling 4 and the downstream end 53). The rectifier plate 51 has a bent portion 56 that protrudes toward the bottom 6 side of the refrigerator 2.

[0042] The upstream end 57 of the rectifying plate 51 and the downstream end 58 of the rectifying plate 52 are displaced in the height direction of the cold storage 2, and an opening 59 is formed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 15, the opening 55 and the opening 59 have an opening surface in a direction orthogonal to the main flow of the cold air. In this way, in the present embodiment, the cold air is supplied from two locations, the opening 55 and the opening 59, toward the rear surface 5 side of the cold storage 2.

[0043] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the gap formed between the ceiling 4 and the rectifying plate 51 is used as the opening 55, and the gap formed between the rectifying plate 51 and the rectifying plate 52 is used as the opening 59. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, only one rectifying plate may be provided, and a plurality of long-hole-shaped slits or round holes may be provided in the rectifying plate to form the opening.

[0044] With the configuration described above, according to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained. In the transport refrigerating machine 10F of the present embodiment, the rectifying plates 51 and 52 are provided such that the downstream end 53 in the flow direction of the cold air is located closer to the ceiling 4 side of the cold storage 2 than the upstream end 54. Therefore, it is more advantageous in terms of space than the case where the rectifying plates 51 and 52 are provided so as to have a uniform height position from the front surface 3 side to the rear surface 5 side of the cold storage 2, and the flow velocity on the downstream side can be ensured by reducing the flow path cross-sectional area on the downstream side.

[0045] In the transport refrigerating machine 10F of the present embodiment, the plurality of openings 55 and 59 have an opening surface in a direction orthogonal to the main flow of the cold air. Therefore, the openings 55 and 59 have an opening surface in a direction that does not obstruct the flow of the cold air. As a result, a part of the cold air can smoothly flow into the openings 55 and 59 without obstructing its flow. Therefore, the cold air from the openings 55 and 59 can be smoothly supplied into the refrigerator.

[0046] [Embodiment 7] Hereinafter, Embodiment 7 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. In the refrigerating machine 10G for transportation according to this embodiment, the flow rectifying plates 61 and 62 are provided instead of the flow rectifying plate 51 in the sixth embodiment, and the confluence passage 63 is connected to the flow rectifying plates 61 and 62, which is different. In this embodiment, the parts different from the sixth embodiment will be described, and the description of other overlapping parts will be omitted. In addition, the same components as those in the sixth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] In this embodiment, the confluence passage 63 for supplying the cold air from the bottom 6 side of the cold storage 2 to the flow passage 13 is connected to the flow rectifying plates 61 and 62. Specifically, the confluence passage 63 is connected to the rear surface 5 side (the rear surface 5 side of the bent portion 56) of the cold storage 2 in the flow rectifying plates 52, 61, and 62. A bent portion 64 that protrudes toward the ceiling 4 side is formed in the flow rectifying plate 62, and the confluence passage 63 is connected to the gap between the downstream end of the flow rectifying plate and the bent portion 64 of the flow rectifying plate 62.

[0048] The confluence passage 63 has a constriction portion 65 whose flow passage cross-sectional area gradually decreases as it goes from the bottom 6 side of the cold storage 2 toward the flow passage 13.

[0049] Further, in this embodiment, the upstream end 54 of the flow rectifying plate 52 is located on the ceiling 4 side with respect to the lower end 17 of the air outlet 12 of the cold storage means 11. As a result, a part of the cold air blown out from the air outlet 12 is blown out from below the flow rectifying plate 52 (toward the bottom 6 side). In this way, the cold air is configured to be supplied to a position where the cold air blown out from the flow passage 13 cannot directly reach (a position on the front surface 3 side of the cold air blown out from the flow passage 13).

[0050] In addition, in this embodiment, an example in which the confluence passage 63 and the constriction portion 65 are provided when three flow rectifying plates 52, 61, and 62 are used has been described as an example, but it is not limited to this. One flow rectifying plate may be processed to provide the confluence passage 63 and the constriction portion 65, or a configuration using two or four or more flow rectifying plates may be used.

[0051] As described above, this embodiment provides the following effects. In the transport refrigerator 10G of this embodiment, as described above, a confluence channel 63 is connected to the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2 on the rectifier plates 52, 61, 62 to supply cold air from the bottom 6 side of the refrigerator 2 to the flow channel, and the confluence channel 63 has a constriction section 65. This increases the air velocity of the cold air flowing through the confluence channel 63 and makes the pressure inside the confluence channel 63 lower than the internal pressure of the refrigerator 2. Therefore, the cold air with increased air velocity can be sent to the flow channel 13. This increases the air volume of cold air flowing through the flow channel 13, and thus increases the amount of cold air that reaches the rear surface 5 side of the refrigerator 2 more reliably. Therefore, the occurrence of temperature unevenness inside the refrigerator 2 can be prevented more reliably, and the temperature distribution inside the refrigerator 2 can be improved more reliably.

[0052] <Note> The transport refrigeration unit described in the above-described embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0053] A transport refrigerator (10A) according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is provided on the front (3) side of a cold storage compartment (2) of a transport refrigerated vehicle and comprises a cooling means (11) that supplies cold air into the cold storage compartment and a flow path (13) formed between the cooling means and the ceiling (4) of the cold storage compartment, and a rectifier plate (14) having a plurality of openings (15, 16) that pass through the ceiling and bottom (6) sides of the cold storage compartment, wherein the plurality of openings are formed such that the opening area per predetermined region is larger on the rear side of the cold storage compartment than on the front side.

[0054] The transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure includes a rectifier plate provided such that a flow path is formed between the rectifier plate and the ceiling of the refrigerated storage unit, allowing cold air supplied from the refrigeration means to flow to the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. This ensures that sufficient cold air is supplied to the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. Furthermore, in the transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure, multiple openings are formed in the rectifier plate that pass through the ceiling and bottom sides of the refrigerated storage unit, and the opening area per predetermined region is larger on the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit than on the front side. If the opening area per predetermined region is the same from the front to the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit, the amount of cold air supplied to the rear side may decrease due to the effect of pressure loss. On the other hand, in this disclosure, since openings are formed in the rectifier plate that take pressure loss into consideration as described above, the effect of pressure loss is reduced, and a sufficient amount of cold air can be supplied to the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. This prevents the occurrence of temperature unevenness inside the refrigerated storage unit and improves the temperature distribution inside the refrigerated storage unit.

[0055] The shape of the openings formed in the rectifier plate can be, for example, a slit or a round hole. Furthermore, "to increase the opening area per predetermined region" includes, for example, making the pitch of the openings unequal, gradually narrowing from the front to the rear of the refrigerator, gradually increasing the opening area of ​​the openings, and gradually increasing the number of openings. In addition, the openings formed in the rectifier plate also include gaps formed between the ends of the rectifier plate and the ceiling or side walls, and slits formed between the ends of multiple rectifier plates.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the transport refrigerator (10F) according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is provided such that the flow straightening plates (51, 52) are positioned such that the downstream end (53) in the direction of the cold air flow is located closer to the ceiling of the cold storage unit than the upstream end (54).

[0057] In the transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure, the rectifier plate is provided such that its downstream end in the direction of cold air flow is located closer to the ceiling of the cold storage unit than its upstream end. Therefore, this is more space-efficient than providing the rectifier plate at a uniform height from the front to the rear of the cold storage unit, and it is possible to secure the flow velocity on the downstream side by narrowing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path on the downstream side.

[0058] In the third aspect of the present disclosure, the transport refrigerator, in the second aspect, has openings (55, 59) with opening surfaces perpendicular to the main flow of cold air.

[0059] In the transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure, the multiple openings have opening surfaces oriented perpendicular to the main flow of cold air. Therefore, the opening surfaces of the openings are oriented in a direction that does not obstruct the flow of cold air. This allows a portion of the cold air to flow smoothly into the openings without obstructing its flow. Consequently, cold air from the openings can be smoothly supplied into the refrigerated storage unit.

[0060] In the transport refrigerator (10G) according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in any of the first to third aspects, a confluence channel (63) is connected to the rear side of the cold storage compartment on the straightening plate (52, 61, 62) to supply the cold air from the bottom side of the cold storage compartment to the flow path, and the confluence channel has a constricted section (65) in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path gradually decreases as it moves from the bottom side of the cold storage compartment toward the flow path.

[0061] As described above, the transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure has a confluence channel connected to the rear side of the refrigerated compartment on the rectifier plate, which supplies cold air from the bottom side of the refrigerated compartment into the flow channel, and the confluence channel has a constricted section. This increases the air velocity of the cold air flowing through the confluence channel and makes the pressure inside the confluence channel lower than the internal pressure of the refrigerated compartment. Therefore, cold air with increased air velocity can be sent into the flow channel. This increases the airflow rate of cold air flowing through the flow channel, and thus increases the amount of cold air that reaches the rear side of the refrigerated compartment more reliably. Therefore, the occurrence of temperature unevenness inside the refrigerated compartment can be prevented more reliably, and the temperature distribution inside the refrigerated compartment can be improved more reliably.

[0062] In the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the transport refrigerator has three or more openings in any of the first to fourth aspects.

[0063] In the transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure, the number of openings can be three or more. This makes it possible to form the openings in a way that is more suitable for reducing the effects of pressure loss, for example, by gradually increasing the opening area of ​​the openings from the front to the rear of the refrigerated unit, compared to the case with two openings.

[0064] A transport refrigerator (10B) according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a cooling means provided on the front side of a cold storage compartment of a transport refrigerated vehicle for supplying cold air into the cold storage compartment, and a guide member (21) that guides the cold air supplied from the cooling means to the rear side of the cold storage compartment and has a higher temperature diffusivity than aluminum.

[0065] The transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure guides the cold air supplied from the cooling means to the rear side of the refrigerated compartment and is equipped with a guide member that has a higher thermal diffusivity than aluminum. That is, the guide member is a material that conducts heat more easily than aluminum, which is the main material of the refrigerated compartment. As a result, the guide member is sufficiently cooled by the cold air, which transfers heat from the front side to the rear side of the refrigerated compartment. Therefore, even if the cold air does not reach the rear side of the refrigerated compartment, the cold air is released from the cooled guide member to the rear side of the refrigerated compartment, thereby lowering the temperature on the rear side of the refrigerated compartment. This prevents the occurrence of temperature unevenness inside the refrigerated compartment and improves the temperature distribution inside the refrigerated compartment.

[0066] In the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the transport refrigerator (10D) is provided with a heat storage material (22) on the guide member at a position on the rear side of the front half of the refrigerator.

[0067] In the transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure, a heat storage material is provided at a position on the rear side of the refrigerator, more than halfway from the front. For example, if the length of the refrigerator is 10 m, it is provided at a position on the rear side more than 5 m from the front. This allows the cold energy transmitted from the guide member to be stored in the heat storage material. Therefore, when the temperature on the rear side of the refrigerator rises, for example when the rear door of the refrigerator is opened, the cold energy stored in the heat storage material is released, thereby suppressing the temperature rise near the door, where the heat load is high.

[0068] A transport refrigerator (10E) according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a cooling means provided on the front side of a cold storage compartment of a transport refrigerated vehicle for supplying cold air into the cold storage compartment, and a flow path formed between the cooling means and the ceiling of the cold storage compartment, through which the cold air supplied from the cooling means flows to the rear side of the cold storage compartment, and a flow straightening plate (41) provided such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is smaller on the rear side than on the front side of the cold storage compartment.

[0069] The transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure includes a flow path formed between the refrigeration unit and the ceiling of the refrigerated storage unit, allowing cold air supplied from the refrigeration means to flow to the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. The flow path is provided on a straightening plate such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is smaller on the rear side than on the front side of the refrigerated storage unit. This allows sufficient cold air to be supplied to the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. In particular, in the transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure, since the flow path is provided on a straightening plate such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is smaller on the rear side than on the front side of the refrigerated storage unit, the cold air supplied from the refrigeration means is narrowed as it approaches the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. This allows a jet of cold air to be ejected from the flow path outlet toward the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. The ejected cold air can reach the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit more reliably due to inertial force. Therefore, a sufficient volume of cold air can be supplied to the rear side of the refrigerated storage unit. This prevents the occurrence of temperature unevenness inside the refrigerated storage unit and improves the temperature distribution inside the refrigerated storage unit.

[0070] A transport refrigerator (10C) according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a cooling means provided on the front side of a cold storage compartment of a transport refrigerated vehicle and supplying cold air into the cold storage compartment, and a plurality of rectifier plates (31, 31') arranged with gaps (32) between them, which guide the cold air supplied from the cooling means from the front side to the rear side of the cold storage compartment and alternately form irregularities along the direction of the flow of the cold air.

[0071] The transport refrigeration unit of this disclosure is equipped with a plurality of rectifier plates that guide the cold air supplied from the cooling means from the front to the rear of the refrigerated compartment, and which are arranged with gaps between them so that alternating bumps and dips are formed along the direction of the cold air flow. That is, the plurality of rectifier plates are arranged to form a corrugated shape when viewed from the side of the refrigerated compartment. As a result, the rectifier plates can guide the cold air to the rear of the refrigerated compartment, so that sufficient cold air can be supplied to the rear of the refrigerated compartment. In particular, since the plurality of rectifier plates are arranged so that alternating bumps and dips are formed along the direction of the cold air flow, the cold air can flow along the surface of each rectifier plate due to the Coanda effect. In addition, since the plurality of rectifier plates are arranged with gaps between them, when the cold air flows over the surface of the rectifier plates, some of the cold air separates from the surface and flows downwards into the refrigerated compartment, so that cold air can be supplied uniformly throughout the entire refrigerated compartment. Thus, in this disclosure, by designing the system with multiple rectifier plates arranged in a more open manner compared to a duct, approximately half of the cold air flowing in the front-to-back direction of the cold storage unit flows over the upper surface of the rectifier plates. This suppresses air separation due to density differences and reduces pressure loss, allowing cold air to be supplied to the rear side of the cold storage unit with low resistance. As a result, temperature unevenness within the cold storage unit can be prevented, and the temperature distribution within the cold storage unit can be improved.

[0072] 2 Refrigerated storage unit 3 Front 4 Ceiling 5 Rear 6 Bottom 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G Transport refrigeration unit 11 Cooling means 12 Outlet 13 Flow path 14 Rectifier plate 15, 16 Opening 17 Lower end 21 Guide member 22 Heat storage material 31, 31' Rectifier plate 32 Gap 41 Rectifier plate 42 Upstream end 51, 52 Rectifier plate 53, 58 Downstream end 54, 57 Upstream end 55, 59 Opening 56 Bent section 61, 62 Rectifier plate 63 Confluence section 64 Bent section 65 Constricted section

Claims

1. A transport refrigeration unit comprising: a cooling means provided on the front side of a cold storage compartment of a transport refrigerated vehicle for supplying cold air into the cold storage compartment; and a flow path formed between the ceiling of the cold storage compartment and the cooling means for the cold air supplied from the cooling means to flow to the rear side of the cold storage compartment, and having a plurality of openings formed thereon that pass through the ceiling and bottom sides of the cold storage compartment, wherein the plurality of openings are formed such that the opening area per unit area is larger on the rear side of the cold storage compartment than on the front side.

2. The transport refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rectifier plate is provided such that its downstream end in the direction of cold air flow is located closer to the ceiling of the cold storage unit than its upstream end.

3. The transport refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of openings have opening surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the main flow of cold air.

4. A confluence channel is connected to the rear side of the cooler on the rectifier plate to supply the cold air from the bottom of the cooler to the channel, and the confluence channel has a constricted section in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the channel gradually decreases as it moves from the bottom of the cooler toward the channel, as described in claim 1.

5. The transport refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of openings is three or more.

6. A transport refrigeration unit comprising: a cooling means provided on the front side of the cold storage compartment of a transport refrigerated vehicle for supplying cold air into the cold storage compartment; and a guide member that guides the cold air supplied from the cooling means to the rear side of the cold storage compartment and has a higher temperature diffusion rate than aluminum.

7. The transport refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the guide member is provided with a heat storage material at a position on the rear side of the front half of the refrigerator.

8. A transport refrigeration machine comprising: a cooling means provided on the front side of the cold storage compartment of a transport refrigerated vehicle for supplying cold air into the cold storage compartment; and a flow path formed between the ceiling of the cold storage compartment and the cooling means, through which the cold air supplied from the cooling means flows to the rear side of the cold storage compartment, with the flow path cross-sectional area being smaller on the rear side than on the front side of the cold storage compartment.

9. A transport refrigeration unit comprising: a cooling means provided on the front side of the cold storage compartment of a transport refrigerated vehicle for supplying cold air into the cold storage compartment; and a plurality of straightening plates arranged with gaps between them, which guide the cold air supplied from the cooling means from the front side to the rear side of the cold storage compartment and which alternately form irregularities along the direction of the flow of the cold air.

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