Low-temperature and high-humidity storage chamber

Abstract

Provided is a low-temperature and high-humidity storage chamber having: a storage chamber for storing an object; a cooling device installed in the storage chamber; an intake part and a discharge part that communicate the inside and the outside of the storage chamber, the intake part taking gas into the storage chamber, and the discharge part discharging the gas; and a pressure regulating device for applying static pressure to the intake part and / or the discharge part. When the outside air has a higher temperature and contains a larger amount of water vapor than air in the chamber, the humidity inside the chamber is increased by taking the outside air into the chamber.

Description

Low-temperature and high-humidity storage vault

[0001] The present invention relates to a low-temperature and high-humidity storage vault.

[0002] Foods, foodstuffs, and flowers are stored at low temperatures to suppress deterioration due to spoilage. However, generally when generating low-temperature air, the air is dehumidified by passing through a cooler. Therefore, when stored in a low-temperature environment, the moisture content of crops, etc. may decrease, leading to deterioration due to drying. In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses generating air containing saturated water vapor by blowing air onto a water-supplied porous non-woven fabric block in order to prevent drying deterioration due to a decrease in the moisture content of crops, etc.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-146186

[0004] However, in a low-temperature environment, the relative humidity is likely to significantly decrease due to a small amount of dew condensation or frosting, and it is not easy to maintain a high-humidity environment. From the perspective of keeping the inside of the storage vault in a high-humidity environment, it is conceivable to blow air against a storage section for storing water to promote evaporation, or to provide a humidifier to forcibly humidify. However, in the method of blowing air against the storage section, there is a limit to the rising humidity, and it is difficult to realize a high-humidity environment. Also, in the method of forcibly humidifying, there is a risk that the target product will be contaminated with water.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a low-temperature and high-humidity storage vault that enables storage in a low-temperature and high-humidity environment while suppressing dew condensation or frosting on the storage target products.

[0006] In other words, the present invention is as follows: [1] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet comprising: a storage cabinet for storing a target product; a cooling device installed in the storage cabinet; an intake section that connects the inside and outside of the storage cabinet and takes in gas into the storage cabinet; an exhaust section that discharges gas from inside the storage cabinet; and a pressure regulating device that applies static pressure to the intake section and / or the exhaust section. [2] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to [1], wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet. [3] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to [1] or [2], wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet when the absolute humidity outside the storage cabinet is higher than the humidity inside the storage cabinet. [4] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet when the humidity inside the storage cabinet is lower than a predetermined value. [5] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet when the temperature inside the storage cabinet is lower than a predetermined value. [6] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the intake section connects the inside of the storage cabinet to the space outside the cabinet. [7] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein it has a humidification chamber, and the intake section connects the inside of the storage cabinet to the humidification chamber. [8] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to [7], wherein it has a humidification device installed in the humidification chamber, and the humidification device adjusts the absolute humidity of the humidification chamber to be higher than the target absolute humidity of the storage cabinet. [9] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to [7] or [8], wherein it has a communication section that connects the inside and outside of the humidification chamber.

[10] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the pressure regulating device has a first blower.

[11] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the intake section has a shielding section for adjusting the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path.

[12] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to

[11] , wherein the inside and outside of the storage cabinet are connected and an exhaust section is used to exhaust gas to the outside of the storage cabinet.

[13] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to

[12] , wherein the warm air passing through the intake section and the cold air passing through the exhaust section are used for heat exchange.

[14] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to

[12] or

[13] , having a humidifying chamber, wherein the intake section connects the inside of the storage cabinet to the humidifying chamber and takes in gas into the storage cabinet, and the exhaust section connects the inside of the storage cabinet to the humidifying chamber and exhausts gas into the humidifying chamber.

[15] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to

[14] , having a fog collecting device for collecting fog generated by the gas taken in from the intake section.

[16] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to

[15] , wherein the fog collecting device is a mesh structure provided so as to intersect with the direction of airflow.

[17] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to

[16] , having a second blower for diffusing the gas taken in from the intake section into the storage cabinet.

[18] A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to any one of [1] to

[17] , comprising a mixing device for mixing the gas taken in from the intake section with the gas inside the storage cabinet.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet that enables storage in a low-temperature, high-humidity environment while suppressing condensation or frost formation on the stored items.

[0008] This is a schematic diagram showing an aspect of the low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet of this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an aspect of the intake section and its surroundings of this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing another aspect of the low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet of this embodiment. This is a diagram showing the relationship between humidity and temperature. This is a diagram showing temperature changes at a predetermined location inside the cabinet. This is a diagram showing humidity changes at a predetermined location inside the cabinet. This shows a side cross-sectional view of a refrigerator for restaurants or households.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly stated below. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various modifications without departing from its spirit. In addition, in the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions or proportions. There may be parts in the drawings where the relationships between dimensions or proportions differ from those in the drawings.

[0010] 1. Low-Temperature High-Humidity Storage Cabinet Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the low-temperature high-humidity storage cabinet of this embodiment, and Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram representing the surrounding structure of the intake section 30. As shown in Figure 1, the low-temperature high-humidity storage cabinet 1 of this embodiment includes a storage cabinet 10 for storing the target product, a cooling device 20 installed in the storage cabinet 10, an intake section 30 that connects the inside and outside of the storage cabinet 10 and takes in gas into the storage cabinet 10, and a pressure regulating device 40 that applies static pressure to the intake section 30.

[0011] This makes it possible to store items at a relative humidity level above their water activity. As a result, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the commercial value of items due to drying during long-term storage, and even perishable foods that are difficult to package can be stored at low temperatures without conventional airtight packaging, either bare or in air-permeable containers or packaging.

[0012] Furthermore, by storing items in an environment with a water activity level higher than that of various bacteria, the number of viable bacteria adhering to the object can be reduced over time.

[0013] The storage room 10 is a space kept at a low temperature and high humidity for storing the items. The storage room 10 may have a door 11 and be large enough for people to enter, or it may be small enough not to be used for human entry, like a household or commercial refrigerator.

[0014] There are no particular restrictions on the items covered, but examples include food products such as agricultural products, livestock products, and marine products, as well as flowers and medical supplies.

[0015] The cooling device 20 is installed in the storage unit 10. The cooling device 20 in this embodiment may have a cooling coil through which a refrigerant passes, and the cooling coil may have fins. The cooling coil and fins to be cooled by the refrigerant exchange heat with the gas in the storage unit 10, thereby cooling the inside of the storage unit 10. The cooling device 20 may have an outdoor unit that supplies refrigerant to the cooling coil. The refrigerant, adjusted to an arbitrary temperature by the outdoor unit, circulates between the cooling coil and the outdoor unit, thereby adjusting the cooling coil to an arbitrary temperature.

[0016] During operation of the cooling device 20, condensation or frost may form on the surfaces of the cooling coils and fins. Preferably, the cooling device 20 is a non-dehumidifying type cooling device that does not have a drain mechanism for discharging water vapor (water) that has condensed below the dew point on the surfaces of the cooling coils and fins. The water that has condensed below the dew point on the surfaces of the cooling coils and fins may be collected and stored in a water reservoir (not shown). The storage unit 10 may be humidified by blowing air into the water stored in the water reservoir using a blower (not shown).

[0017] The cooling device 20 may also have a blower that delivers air to the surfaces of the cooling coils and fins. This may cause condensation or frost that has formed on the surfaces of the cooling coils and fins to volatilize.

[0018] The intake section 30 connects the inside and outside of the storage cabinet 10 and takes in gas into the storage cabinet 10. The form of the intake section 30 is not particularly limited, but examples include one or more small-diameter ducts provided in the wall of the storage cabinet 10 as shown in Figure 2. The diameter of the small-diameter duct is preferably 0.1 cm or more, 0.3 cm or more, 0.5 cm or more, 0.7 cm or more, or 1.0 cm or more. Alternatively, the diameter of the small-diameter duct is preferably 5 cm or less, 4 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, or 1 cm or less. Furthermore, insect screens, dust screens, etc., may be provided in the small-diameter duct to prevent foreign objects from entering from outside the cabinet.

[0019] The intake section 30 may connect the inside and outside of the storage cabinet 10, or it may connect the storage cabinet 10 to another space such as the humidification chamber 12, as long as it connects the inside and outside of the storage cabinet 10. It is preferable that the absolute humidity of both the outside space and the other space such as the humidification chamber 12 is higher than that of the storage cabinet 10. Here, the outside space may be the outside air outside the low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet of this embodiment. This allows, for example, when the outside space is in a high-humidity climate or season, the outside air to be taken into the storage cabinet 10 as high-humidity air. Also, when the outside space is in a low-humidity climate or season, the outside air can be humidified via the humidification chamber before being taken into the storage cabinet 10 as high-humidity air.

[0020] Figure 4A shows a diagram illustrating the relationship between humidity and temperature. As shown in Figure 4A, for example, by introducing a gas with a relative humidity of 50% at a temperature of T2°C into a storage chamber at a temperature of T1°C, the relative humidity inside the storage chamber 10 can be increased to 100% without forced humidification. Furthermore, if a gas with a relative humidity of 100% at a temperature of T2°C is introduced into a storage chamber at a temperature of T1°C, excess water vapor will be introduced into the storage chamber 10, which may cause fog, condensation, or frost. However, such excess water vapor can be removed by a fog collection device, etc., as described later, thereby maintaining a low-temperature, high-humidity environment inside the storage chamber.

[0021] Figures 4B and 4C show temperature and humidity measurements taken at the same location inside the chamber. 0 minutes indicates the same measurement start time.

[0022] In a low-temperature storage facility where the internal temperature is around 0°C, an evaporative humidifier is installed inside the facility, which humidifies the water in a reservoir equipped with an anti-freeze heater by blowing air into it. It can be seen that the relative humidity decreases at almost the same time as the cooling unit is running. This is because, at internal temperatures around 0°C, the amount of saturated water vapor is small, so even a small amount of frost on the cooling unit causes a large drop in relative humidity. The average relative humidity inside the facility is 95% rH, and the maximum relative humidity is 98% rH.

[0023] It appears that bacteria dry out and enter a dormant state, becoming rubbery or vitrified, when their water activity is below their normal level. Above their water activity, they cannot enter a dormant state, and we discovered that their growth at low temperatures is difficult, resulting in a drastic decrease in bacterial count after culturing. While the water activity of most bacteria is around 0.95, some bacteria are thought to have higher water activities; therefore, for low-temperature storage, higher relative humidity is preferable.

[0024] However, raising the average humidity above 98% rH can lead to fog formation and contamination due to condensation. Therefore, by suppressing humidity reduction due to frost formation, it is possible to raise the average humidity to around the maximum humidity of 98% rH. Humidification inside the storage area can be controlled with a humidity sensor or by taking in outside air in conjunction with the operation of the cooling unit. For example, outside air could be taken in for half the time the cooling unit is running.

[0025] In general, ventilation is not necessary in storage facilities intended for refrigeration, and from the standpoint of cooling efficiency, it is desirable to prevent outside air from entering the storage facility as much as possible. However, as mentioned above, from the standpoint of avoiding drying due to long-term storage and the resulting deterioration of quality, it is preferable to store the products in a low-temperature, high-humidity environment. In this regard, the low-temperature, high-humidity storage facility of this embodiment, with the above configuration, makes it possible to store the stored products at a relative humidity inside the facility that is higher than the water activity of the stored products.

[0026] The exhaust section 32 connects the inside and outside of the storage cabinet 10 and exhausts gas to the outside of the storage cabinet 10. The exhaust section 32 may be a duct provided in the wall of the storage cabinet 10. The exhaust section 32 may connect the inside of the storage cabinet 10 to the space outside the storage cabinet 10, or it may connect the storage cabinet 10 to another space such as the humidification room 12.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the storage unit may have a heat exchanger 50 that exchanges heat between the warm air passing through the intake section 30 and the cold air passing through the exhaust section 32. The heat exchanger 50 is not particularly limited, but examples include a partition wall separating the intake section 30 and the exhaust section 32, which is made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as metal. This allows the warm air supplied to the storage unit 10 to be cooled by the cold air exhausted from the storage unit 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the storage unit 10 caused by supplying high-humidity air into the storage unit 10.

[0028] Furthermore, when the warm air passing through the intake section 30 is cooled by the heat exchanger 50, condensation may occur inside the intake section 30. The intake section 30 may have a drain mechanism (not shown) for discharging such condensed water to the outside of the storage unit. The temperature inside the intake section 30 will be relatively higher than that inside the storage unit 10, but by discharging excess water vapor as condensed water to the outside of the storage unit 10, the amount of fog, condensation, or frost that occurs inside the storage unit 10 can be reduced. In addition, since the amount of water vapor that changes state into fog, condensation, or frost can be reduced, the amount of heat required for such state changes can be made more efficient.

[0029] The pressure regulating device 40 is not particularly limited as long as it applies static pressure to the intake section 30. It may be a device that directly blows air to the intake section 30 to pressurize the inside of the storage chamber, or it may reduce the pressure inside the storage chamber from the viewpoint of gas intake. Such a pressure regulating device 40 is not particularly limited, but examples include a first blower 41a located inside and / or outside the storage chamber 10 that takes in gas through the intake section 30, or a first blower 41b located inside and / or outside the storage chamber 10 that exhausts gas through the exhaust section 32. In Figures 1 and 3, the first blower 41a is not necessarily required because the air velocity (F3) inside the duct increases and the pressure decreases due to the second blower 42, but it may be provided.

[0030] The first blower 41a can apply static pressure more directly to the intake section 30 and may draw gas into the storage chamber 10. Alternatively, the first blower 41b can depressurize the inside of the storage chamber 10 by exhausting air from the exhaust section 32, and indirectly apply static pressure to the intake section 30 by utilizing the pressure difference inside and outside the storage chamber 10 to draw gas into the storage chamber 10.

[0031] Furthermore, from the perspective of taking in outside air, the low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet may have both the first blower 41a and the first blower 41b as the pressure regulating device 40, or it may have only one of them. For example, if only the first blower 41a is provided, the inside of the cabinet will be under positive pressure compared to the outside, and the positive pressure will be exhausted from the exhaust section F2. If only the first blower 41b is provided, the inside of the cabinet will be under negative pressure compared to the outside, and the negative pressure will be drawn in from the intake section 30. Moreover, by having both, the pressure can be adjusted by both of them.

[0032] The flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the intake section 30 may be larger or smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the exhaust section 32, but it is preferable that it be smaller. Because the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the intake section 30 is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the exhaust section 32, it becomes easier to reduce the pressure inside the storage unit 10 by exhausting from the exhaust section 32 with the first blower 41b, and static pressure can be applied to the intake section 30 even without the first blower 41a.

[0033] The pressure regulating device 40 applies static pressure to the intake section 30, but the timing is not particularly limited. For example, the pressure inside the storage cabinet 10 may be reduced when the absolute humidity outside the storage cabinet 10 is higher than the humidity inside the storage cabinet 10. This allows the storage cabinet 10 to supply high-humidity air and humidify the inside of the storage cabinet 10.

[0034] The first blower 41b of the pressure regulating device 40 may simply consist of an exhaust section 32 and an opening area adjustment damper. The opening area adjustment damper may be manually operated or automatically adjusted.

[0035] Furthermore, the pressure regulating device 40 may reduce the pressure inside the storage cabinet 10 if the humidity inside the storage cabinet 10 is lower than a predetermined value. This draws in high-humidity air from outside, improving the humidity inside the storage cabinet 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the pressure regulating device 40 may reduce the pressure inside the storage cabinet 10 if the temperature inside the storage cabinet 10 is lower than a predetermined value. This makes it easier to draw in high-humidity air from outside and create a low-temperature, high-humidity environment inside the storage cabinet 10.

[0037] In addition, the pressure regulating device 40 may stop applying static pressure to the intake section 30 and stop taking in gas. For example, if the humidity inside the storage cabinet 10 is higher than a predetermined value, for example, if the humidity becomes sufficiently high, the pressure regulating device 40 may stop taking in gas to prevent excess water vapor from condensing or forming inside the storage cabinet 10. Also, if the temperature inside the storage cabinet 10 is higher than a predetermined value, for example, if the temperature becomes too high due to the intake of outside air, the pressure regulating device 40 may stop taking in gas and prioritize lowering the temperature inside the storage cabinet 10. Furthermore, if the absolute humidity outside the storage cabinet 10 is lower than the humidity inside the storage cabinet 10, the pressure regulating device 40 may stop taking in gas to prevent the humidity inside the storage cabinet 10 from decreasing due to the intake of outside air.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet 1 may have a fog collection device 55 that collects fog generated by the gas taken in from the intake section 30. If the amount of water vapor contained in the gas taken in from the intake section 30 exceeds the amount of water vapor saturated at the temperature inside the storage cabinet 10, the excess water vapor will condense and generate fog. If such fog adheres to the objects stored in the storage cabinet 10, it may lead to a decrease in the commercial value of the objects or cause hygiene problems in the storage cabinet 10. Therefore, by using the fog collection device 55, the diffusion of fog can be suppressed.

[0039] Furthermore, in Figure 2, the first blower 41a is not necessary when the static pressure of the intake section 30, cooling device 24, and mist collection device 55 is low, but it may be provided when the static pressure is high.

[0040] The fog collection device 55 is not particularly limited, but examples include a mesh structure or fins provided to intersect the airflow direction. Furthermore, the mesh structure, fins, and other components of the fog collection device 55 that come into contact with the fog may be made of a hydrophilic material or may have a coating layer made of a hydrophilic material.

[0041] When the fog comes into contact with the fog collection device 55, condensation forms on the surface of the fog collection device 55. By collecting this condensed water, excess water vapor that causes condensation in the storage room 10 can be removed. This prevents excess water vapor from condensing on the surface of the cooling device 20, thereby suppressing a decrease in the cooling capacity of the cooling device 20 due to condensation and frost formation. The condensed water obtained in this way may be discharged outside the storage room by the drain mechanism 70, or it may be stored in a storage tank (not shown) and used as humidifying water when the humidity in the storage room 10 decreases.

[0042] The low-temperature, high-humidity storage unit 1 may have a shielding unit 60 that adjusts the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the intake unit 30. The shielding unit 60 is not particularly limited as long as it allows for adjustment of the flow path cross-sectional area, but may be, for example, a damper that adjusts the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the intake unit 30 by controlling the orientation of one or more blades, or a shutter that closes the opening of the intake unit 30.

[0043] The shielding part 60 can completely block the intake part 30 to stop the inflow of gas, or increase or decrease the amount of gas flowing into the storage chamber 10 through the intake part 30. More specifically, by increasing or decreasing the flow channel cross-sectional area of the intake part 30 with respect to the flow channel cross-sectional area of the exhaust part 32, the degree of decompression inside the storage chamber 10 can be adjusted, and the static pressure related to the intake part 30 can be adjusted. In this sense, the shielding part 60 may be a part of the pressure regulating device 40.

[0044] The low-temperature and high-humidity storage chamber 1 may have a cooling device 24 located inside and / or outside the storage chamber 10 for cooling the gas taken in through the intake part 30. Thereby, the warm air supplied to the storage chamber 10 can be cooled, and the temperature rise of the storage chamber 10 due to the supply of high-humidity air into the storage chamber 10 can be suppressed.

[0045] The low-temperature and high-humidity storage chamber 1 may have a mixing device 65 for mixing the gas taken in from the intake part 30 and the gas inside the storage chamber 10. As shown in FIG. 2, in the mixing device 65, the gas flow F1 taken in from the intake part 30 and the gas flow F2 inside the storage chamber 10 may merge and mix inside the mixing device 65. The mixing device 65 may have a structure for stirring the two gases, such as fins or a mesh structure, to mix the two gases. Such a structure is not particularly limited, but for example, the same as the mist collection device 55 can be mentioned. That is, in addition to collecting mist, the mist collection device 55 may also have a function of stirring two gases.

[0046] By having the mixing device 65, the gas taken in from the intake part 30 is cooled by the gas inside the storage chamber 10, and the gas inside the storage chamber 10 is humidified. Therefore, the gas discharged from the mixing device 65 into the storage chamber 10 becomes low-temperature and high-humidity. Also, when mist occurs, it can be recovered inside the mixing device, so condensation and frosting inside the storage chamber 10 can be suppressed, the decrease in cooling capacity can be suppressed, and the sanitary aspect can also be improved.

[0047] It may also have a second blower device 42 that diffuses the gas taken in by the intake unit 30 into the storage chamber. Thereby, the mixing of the gas taken in by the intake unit 30 and the gas in the storage chamber 10 is promoted, and the gas in the storage chamber 10 is humidified. Also, the cooling of the gas taken in by the intake unit 30 is promoted, and it is possible to suppress the local increase in the temperature in the storage chamber 10. Note that the second blower device 42 may be installed on the upstream side of the flow F2 of the mixing device 65 (see FIG. 1), or may be installed on the downstream side (FIG. 2).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3, a schematic sectional view of another aspect of the low-temperature and high-humidity storage 1 is shown. Except for points not particularly mentioned in FIG. 3, the configuration may be the same as that in FIG. 1.

[0049] In FIG. 3, the low-temperature and high-humidity storage 1 may have a humidification chamber 12. Here, the intake unit 30 communicates between the interior of the storage chamber 10 and the humidification chamber 12 and takes in gas into the storage chamber 10. Similarly, the exhaust unit 32 may also communicate between the interior of the storage chamber 10 and the humidification chamber 12. Thereby, in the humidification chamber 12, the cold air exhausted by the exhaust unit 32 exchanges heat with the warm air supplied to the storage chamber l0, and it is possible to supply a gas with a lower temperature and higher humidity to the storage chamber 10. Thereby, the temperature rise of the storage chamber 10 can be suppressed.

[0050] The humidification chamber 12 may be provided with a humidifying device 85. The humidifying device 85 can humidify the interior of the humidification chamber 12 and supply a gas with a higher humidity to the intake unit 30. More specifically, the humidifying device 85 may adjust the absolute humidity of the humidification chamber 12 to be higher than the target absolute humidity of the storage chamber 10.

[0051] Note that the humidifying device 85 is not particularly limited. For example, there are a steam type that heats and evaporates water, an ultrasonic type that makes water into a fine mist by ultrasonic vibration and supplies it into the air, and a vaporization type that blows air through an absorber that has absorbed water and humidifies it by vaporization action, etc.

[0052] Furthermore, the low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet 1 may have a communication section 34 that connects the inside and outside of the humidification chamber 12. This allows outside air to be drawn into the humidification chamber 12, and consequently, outside air to be supplied into the storage cabinet 10. The communication section 34 may also be provided with a shielding section 62, or it may have a blower (not shown) that draws outside air into the humidification chamber 12. The shielding section 62 can have the same configuration as the shielding section 60.

[0053] Furthermore, the cooling devices 20, 22, pressure regulating devices 40, 41a, 41b, shielding units 60, 62, and humidifying device 85 may be controlled by the control device 75. Specifically, the control device 75 may control these devices by being connected to them wirelessly or via a wired connection.

[0054] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the storage room 10, the humidifying room 12, or the outside may have a thermometer and / or a hygrometer.

[0055] (Examples) In the above example, the configuration of the present invention was mainly described assuming a storage facility 10 that is accessible to people, but below, examples of its application to refrigerators for restaurants or households will be described.

[0056] Figure 5 shows a side cross-sectional view of a refrigerator for restaurants or homes. The front door of the refrigerator is omitted in Figure 5. An example of a drive method will be described.

[0057] When the door is opened, the ventilation and cooling systems inside the refrigerator are all turned OFF, and as shown by the solid arrows in the diagram, the hot, high-absolute-humidity air from the room enters the refrigerator while the cold air inside is filtered out. The inside of the refrigerator is divided by wire shelves; the upper section is for fruits suitable for storage at medium temperature and high absolute humidity, the lower section is for bags and containers of food suitable for storage at low temperature and low absolute humidity, and the middle section is for vegetables and fish suitable for storage at low temperature and high relative humidity.

[0058] When the door is closed, fans 2 and 3 are turned ON, and the dashed arrows indicate "airflow". Furthermore, the cooling unit's airflow from the duct is also operated as shown by the dashed arrows in the diagram. The lower section is always cooled by the cold air from the cooling unit. Fan 1 is turned ON when the external temperature sensor reads 25°C or below, or when the external relative humidity sensor reads 50% or below. The upper section stores high-temperature, high-absolute-humidity air that entered when the door was opened or closed. The specific gravity of air is greater at lower temperatures and when the partial pressure of water vapor is low, at the same atmospheric pressure. In other words, when the airflow is stopped, low-temperature, dry air is stored in the lower section due to the difference in specific gravity, and high-temperature, high-humidity air is stored in the upper section. By operating fans 2 and 3 when the door is closed, the upper and lower section air are mixed, and the high-temperature, high-humidity air in the upper section is cooled by the low-temperature, dry air in the lower section, creating a low-temperature, high-humidity environment in the middle section.

[0059] Therefore, instead of cooling with fins or metal inner walls, high-temperature, high-absolute-humidity air is mixed and cooled with low-temperature air. The target temperature inside the chamber is directly achieved through this mixed cooling. Air above the saturation humidity of the target temperature inside the chamber will turn into mist, but since no latent heat is lost during humidification up to saturation humidity, the latent heat loss is limited to the amount of mist, making it efficient, and humidification up to saturation humidity can be easily achieved. In addition, water contamination of stored goods can be prevented by capturing the mist with a mesh installed at the mist generation site and by blowing air.

[0060] 1 Low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet 10 Storage cabinet 11 Door 12 Humidification chamber 20 Cooling device 22 Cooling device 24 Cooling device 30 Intake section 32 Exhaust section 34 Communication section 40 Pressure regulating device 41a First blower 41b First blower 42 Second blower 50 Heat exchanger 55 Fog collection device 60 Shielding section 62 Shielding section 65 Mixing device 70 Drain mechanism 75 Control device 85 Humidification device

Claims

1. A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet comprising: a storage cabinet for storing the target product; a cooling device installed in the storage cabinet; an intake section that connects the inside and outside of the storage cabinet and takes in gas into the storage cabinet; an exhaust section that discharges gas from inside the storage cabinet; and a pressure regulating device that applies static pressure to the intake section and / or the exhaust section.

2. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet.

3. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet when the absolute humidity outside the storage cabinet is higher than the humidity inside the storage cabinet.

4. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet when the humidity inside the storage cabinet is lower than a predetermined value.

5. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating device reduces or increases the pressure inside the storage cabinet when the temperature inside the storage cabinet is lower than a predetermined value.

6. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the intake section connects the inside of the storage cabinet to the space outside the cabinet.

7. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet has a humidification chamber, and the intake section connects the storage cabinet to the humidification chamber.

8. A humidifier installed in the humidification chamber, wherein the humidifier adjusts the absolute humidity of the humidification chamber to be higher than the target absolute humidity of the storage cabinet, according to claim 7.

9. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 7, having a communication section that connects the inside and outside of the humidification chamber.

10. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating device has a first blower.

11. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a shielding portion for adjusting the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the intake portion.

12. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust section that connects the inside and outside of the storage cabinet and exhausts gas to the outside of the storage cabinet.

13. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 12, further comprising a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between warm air passing through the intake section and cold air passing through the exhaust section.

14. A low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 12, comprising a humidification chamber, wherein the intake section connects the storage cabinet to the humidification chamber and takes in gas into the storage cabinet, and the exhaust section connects the storage cabinet to the humidification chamber and exhausts gas into the humidification chamber.

15. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 11, further comprising a fog collection device for collecting fog generated by the gas taken in from the intake section.

16. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 15, wherein the fog collection device is a mesh structure provided so as to intersect with the airflow direction.

17. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a second blower for diffusing the gas taken in from the intake section into the storage cabinet.

18. The low-temperature, high-humidity storage cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a mixing device for mixing the gas taken in from the intake section with the gas inside the storage cabinet.

Images