JPH02192575A - Food storage case - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent food from oxidation, deterioration in taste and the like by a method wherein a first storage chamber is divided into a plurality of storage spaces and air discharging passage, a communicating a fan with the first, second and third storage chambers at the back surface of the first storage chamber, is formed while air discharging ports, corresponding to respective storage spaces, are opened respectively on the air discharging passage for the first storage chamber. CONSTITUTION:A first storage chamber 8 is provided with a plurality of racks 8a to form a plurality of a storage spaces 8b in up-and-down direction. Air, cooled by a cooler 19, is circulated by a fan 20 from a first air discharging passage 22 into respective storage spaces 8b in the first storage chamber through respective discharging ports 22a. Air, sent into second and third storage chambers 9, 10 through a second air discharging passage 23, is capable of flowing with comparatively small air passage resistance due to the length of the air passage since the fan is positioned at a height proximate to the center of the first storage chamber 8, whereby the second and third storage chambers 9, 10 may be cooled effectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a food storage for storing food at appropriate temperature and appropriate humidity.

Conventional Technology Traditionally, it has been common practice to store foods that require cooling in the refrigerator, and to store other foods in a food storage cabinet in the kitchen. .

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above example, the food stored in the food storage is not controlled for temperature, humidity, etc., and is kept under the temperature and humidity conditions in the kitchen. ing. In recent years, housing structures have become more airtight, making it easy for heat and humidity to build up in the kitchen, resulting in high temperature and high humidity conditions.In addition, temperature and humidity can drop significantly at night. Since there are considerable fluctuations in the temperature, oxidation, loss of vitamin C, moisture absorption, flavor deterioration, etc. are likely to occur during food storage, which is not a good storage condition for a single food. Furthermore, high-temperature vegetables such as sweet potatoes, and tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapple, which have recently become well-known, such as papaya and mango, are particularly temperature-dependent, and cannot be stored at temperatures below 10℃ in a refrigerator. It has been difficult to find an appropriate storage location because it causes low temperature damage and insufficient ripening, and high humidity conditions are desirable.

On the other hand, due to the unique characteristics of foods, it is difficult to store all kinds of foods in one place. There was also the problem that the materials migrated, causing mutual deterioration.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and
The purpose of this product is to prevent food oxidation, loss of vitamin C, moisture absorption, deterioration of flavor, etc., and to provide a food storage facility that preserves food at appropriate temperature and humidity for a long period of time.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the food storage of the present invention has a heat insulating box body with a first . Second. forming a third storage chamber;
Among these, a storage container equipped with a lid made of a moisture-permeable membrane is provided in the second storage chamber, a storage container with an open top surface is provided in the third storage chamber, and a rotary group is provided in the first storage chamber. The second. The third storage chamber is provided with a pull-out door connected to the storage container. The first storage room is divided into a plurality of storage spaces by a plurality of shelves, and a blower installed at a height near the center on the back side of the first storage room is used to divide the first storage room, second and third storage spaces into two. A discharge air path leading to the first storage chamber is formed, and a discharge port is opened in the discharge air path leading to the first storage chamber, corresponding to each storage space. Then, the standard temperature range of each storage room is set to 10 to 15°C, and if the outside air temperature is lower than the standard temperature range, the temperature in each storage room is set to 0 to 15°C, and the temperature in the first and third storage rooms is set to 10 to 15°C. A control means is provided to maintain the humidity at about 50% or less.

Effects According to the present invention, with the above-described configuration, air cooled by the cooler is uniformly fed into each storage space in the first storage chamber from each discharge port by a blower.

On the other hand, similarly cooled air is sent into the second and third storage chambers, and the control means maintains the inside of each storage chamber within the reference temperature range of 10 to 15°C, and the dehumidifying action of the cooler causes the humidity to rise. Keep it dry to below about 50 inches. Furthermore, since the temperature difference with the outside air temperature is low and small compared to refrigerated storage, condensation on the food is suppressed when the door is opened and closed when the food is taken out. In addition, in the storage container in the second storage chamber, water vapor generated by the transpiration or respiration of the fruits and vegetables to be stored is self-controlled by a moisture permeable membrane to prevent drying. On the other hand, if the outside air temperature is below the reference temperature range of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius in the storage room, the temperature in the storage room is expanded to a lower temperature range of 0 to 15 degrees Celsius. The food in the third storage chamber is stored in the refrigerated temperature range to improve its shelf life, and since the difference in temperature from the outside air is small, there is almost no condensation on the food when the door is opened or closed when the food is taken out.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Reference numeral 1 denotes a food storage main body, which is composed of an outer box 2, an inner box 3, and a heat insulating material 4 filled between the boxes 2 and 3. Reference numerals 6 and 6 denote first and second partition plates that vertically divide the front opening of the main body 1 into three parts, and the second partition plate 6 is attached below the first partition plate 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes a partition wall whose front end is connected to the first partition plate 5 to partition the interior of the main body 1 into upper and lower sections, which partitions and forms a first storage chamber 8 in the upper part. There is a second storage room 9 between
is formed. Further, a third storage chamber 10 is formed below the second partition plate 6. Here, a plurality of shelves 8a are provided in the first storage chamber 8, and a plurality of storage spaces 8b are formed above and below. Reference numeral 11 is a storage container provided in the second storage chamber 9, and is composed of a container 12 and a lid 13 mainly composed of a moisture permeable membrane. Reference numeral 14 denotes a storage container with an open upper surface provided in the third storage chamber 1o. Next, 15 is a large rotating door provided at the front opening of the first storage room 8, 15a is a plurality of door shelves provided inside the large rotating door 15, and 15 and 17 are each of the second large rotating door. ．． said storage container 11.1 provided in the front opening of the third storage chamber;
It is a pull-out door connected to 4.

18 is a compressor provided at the bottom of the main body 1, and 19 is a cooler housed in the lower rear side of the first storage chamber 8, which is a conventional type including a condenser, a pressure reducer (none of which are shown). refrigeration cycle. Reference numeral 20 is provided above the cooler at a height near the center of the first storage chamber 8, and is located above the cooler 1.
The air cooled in step 9 is passed through the first step. Second. Third storage compartment 8
,9゜Air blower for forced ventilation within 1o, 21
is a control means (hereinafter referred to as a thermostat) that includes a temperature sensing section on the leeward side of the cooler 19 and controls the operation of the compressor 18 and the blower 2o.

Further, 22 is a first discharge air path υ leading from the blower 2o into the first storage chamber 8, and 22a is opened corresponding to each storage space 8b in the first storage chamber 8. There are multiple discharge ports. 23 is connected from the blower 2o to the second and third storage chambers 9, 1 through the side of the cooler 19.
This is the second discharge air path leading to 0. Reference numeral 24 indicates a return air passage provided at the back surface of the lower part of the first storage chamber 8 and leads to the cooler 19, and 25 indicates a return air passage passing through the partition wall T.
and a return air path leading from the third storage chambers 9, 10 to the cooler 19.

In this configuration, air cooled by the cooler 19 is circulated by the blower 2o, and is sent from the first discharge air path 22 to each storage space 8 in the first storage chamber via each discharge port 22a.
The foods fed into the storage compartments b and stored on each shelf 8a and the foods stored on each door shelf 15a are evenly and uniformly cooled, and then returned to the cooler 19 through the return air passage 24. On the other hand, the second and third storage chambers 9 are
．． ．． Since the blower 2o is located at a height near the center of the first storage chamber 8, the air blown into the second and third storage chambers 9, 10 can flow with relatively little air resistance depending on the length of the air path. 10
Cool efficiently. Then, it is returned to the cooler 19 through the return air passage 26. On the other hand, the thermostat 21 controls the operation/stop of the compressor 18 and the blower 2°. Second. The interior of each of the third storage chambers 8, 9, and 10 is maintained at a standard temperature range of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, and at the same time, the humidity is maintained at a dry condition of about 60 degrees centigrade or less due to the dehumidifying action of the cooler 19.

At this time, for example, the blower 2o is provided in the upper part of the first storage chamber 8, and each storage space 8b is cooled by falling cold air from the discharge port 22a provided only in the upper part. In addition to increasing the temperature unevenness between the two, the humidity unevenness also increases between the upper part near the discharge port and the lower part far from the discharge port. Moreover, as the blower 2o is located at the upper part, the length of the second discharge air passage 23 is longer, and the resistance of the air passage becomes greater.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, each storage space 8b has a discharge port 22a allocated to each storage space 8b, so that each storage space 8b, including the door shelf 15a, which is usually difficult to cool sufficiently, has a uniform temperature within the standard temperature range. maintained at 10-15°C,
Humidity is also maintained at about 60% or less without any significant unevenness. Therefore, stored foods are not exposed to high-temperature conditions, which suppresses oxidation, loss of vitamin C, and deterioration of flavor, making it possible to store them for a long time.On the other hand, when stored foods are stored under low-temperature conditions such as refrigeration, they can cause low-temperature damage. Also, it is unfavorable in terms of aging.
Furthermore, when storing tall fruits that require high humidity conditions in the storage container 11 of the second storage chamber 9, the lid 13, which is made of a moisture-permeable membrane, absorbs water vapor generated due to the transpiration or respiration of the stored contents. Good storage can be achieved by controlling and maintaining high humidity conditions. On the other hand, the inside of the first storage chamber 8 and the third storage chamber 10 are maintained under dry conditions, which prevents oxidation, moisture absorption, and deterioration of flavor of the stored food, and further prevents transfer odor caused by moisture transfer. Due to its effectiveness, it is possible to store various foods in the same place. Furthermore, since the difference between refrigeration and low-temperature storage at 10° C. or lower and the outside temperature is small, condensation on the food is suppressed when the stored food is taken out or when the door is opened and closed, so the food does not get spoiled. On the other hand, the outside temperature is the first. Second. Reference temperature range of each third storage chamber 8, 9.10 10~
When the temperature drops below 15°C, since the temperature-sensing part of the thermostat 21 is provided on the downstream side of the cooler 19, the indoor temperature decreases to the extent that the heat load entering the main body 1 decreases due to the decrease in outside air temperature. The food preservation in the storage room 8 and the third storage room 1o is rather good, and because the outside temperature is low, there is little temperature difference between the food and the food, so there is no need to worry about condensation or moisture absorption when taking out the food or opening and closing the door. . Although it is not preferable for the second storage chamber 9 to have a lower indoor temperature, for example, the temperature may be set higher than that of the first and third storage chambers 8 and 1o within the standard temperature range, or a heater may be used. Differentiation is possible by supplementing with other heating means.

Furthermore, food that requires drying is stored in the first storage chamber 8 on the upper level, but since most of the food items are generally light, the user's convenience is not affected even if the food is on the upper level, and the door is a revolving door 15. It is also convenient for storing and taking out food. Also, the second in the middle
There are many relatively heavy foods such as high-temperature vegetables and tropical fruits stored in the storage room 9, and beverages and seasonings stored in the third storage room 1o at the bottom, but the layout of the storage rooms is medium-sized. - Since it is located at a low position on the lower level and the door is a pull-out type door 15, 17, it does not impair the usability of the user.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) When the outside air temperature is relatively high, the temperature inside each storage room is set to the standard temperature range of 10 to 15°C, and when the outside temperature falls below the standard temperature range, the temperature is set to the 0 to 15°C range. By maintaining this temperature, oxidation, loss of vitamin C, deterioration of flavor, etc. that are promoted by high temperature conditions are reduced, and food can be stored in good condition for a long period of time. Condensation and moisture absorption on food is suppressed when the door is opened and closed.

(2) By maintaining the humidity in the first and third storage chambers at a dry condition of approximately 50% or less, food oxidation, moisture absorption,
Deterioration of flavor can be prevented.

(3) By maintaining the inside of the first and third storage chambers in a dry condition, the smell of food transfer to each other is reduced, and various foods can be stored in the same place, making inventory management easier.

(4) Since the discharge ports are provided corresponding to the divided storage spaces in the first storage room, the temperature and humidity of each storage space including the door shelf can be maintained evenly and evenly, and the air blower Since the installation position is set low, there is little resistance in the discharge air path into the second and third storage chambers, allowing efficient cooling.

(5) Even with high-temperature vegetables and tropical fruits that would cause low-temperature damage or underripening if stored in the vegetable compartment of a conventional refrigerator, they can be kept at high humidity in the second storage compartment at 10 to 15°C using a moisture-permeable membrane. Good storage is possible.

(6) Light foods that require drying can be stored in the upper tier with a revolving door, while other bulk items such as fruits and vegetables, drinks, and seasonings can be stored in the middle and lower tiers with a pull-out door. Food can be conveniently stored and taken out without sacrificing usability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a food storage warehouse showing an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the food storage shown in FIG. 1. 1...Storage body, 2...Outer box, 3.
...Inner box, 4...Insulation material, 6...
・First partition plate, 6...Second partition plate, 7...
...Division wall, 8...First storage room, 8a.
...s, sb...Lo storage space, 9...
...Second storage chamber, 10...Third storage chamber, 11...Storage container, 13...Lid body consisting of moisture permeable membrane υ, 14 ...Storage container, 15...
...Rotating door, 15,17...Pull-out door, 1
8...Compressor, 19...Cooler, 20
...Blower, 21...Thermostat (control means), 22...First discharge air path, 22
a...Discharge port, 23...Second discharge air path. Name of agent Patent attorney Wataru Takashi Awano and 1 other list
11!1 1- Storage station layer book 2- Outside 1 3~Inside i 4--~ l1lIrjF! ff salary

Claims (1)

[Claims] A storage main body that is made up of an outer box, an inner box, and a heat insulating material filled between the outer box and the inner box, the front side of which is opened, and a first partition plate that divides the opening of the storage main body into three vertically. and a second partition plate provided below the first partition plate, and a second partition plate provided below the first partition plate;
a partition wall that is connected to a partition plate to partition the inside of the storage main body vertically; a first storage chamber partitioned above the partition wall; A second storage chamber formed above, a third storage chamber formed below the second partition plate, and a lid body provided inside the second storage chamber and comprising a moisture permeable membrane on the upper surface. a storage container having a substantially airtight structure, a storage container provided in the third storage chamber with an open top surface, a revolving door provided at the front opening of the first storage chamber, and the second and third storage chambers. a pull-out door provided at the front opening of the third storage chamber and connected to the storage container, a plurality of shelves provided in the first storage chamber, and a plurality of storage compartments divided vertically by the plurality of shelves. a storage space and said first
A refrigeration cycle consisting of a plurality of door shelves installed inside the revolving door of the storage room, a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducer, a cooler installed at the lower rear side of the first storage room, and the cooling a forced ventilation blower provided above the container at a height near the center of the first storage chamber; a first discharge air path leading from the blower to the first storage chamber; a plurality of discharge ports opened corresponding to respective storage spaces in the room; a second discharge air path leading from the blower to the second and third storage chambers; The standard temperature range in each storage room is set to 10 to 15°C, and when the outside air temperature is lower than the reference temperature range, the temperature in each storage room is set to 0 to 15°C, and the temperature in the first and third storage rooms is set to 10 to 15°C. Humidity about 5
A food storage unit comprising control means for maintaining the concentration below 0%.