JPH02217773A - brine refrigeration equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a brine refrigerator that cools the inside of a refrigerator using brine.

"Prior art and its problems" It is desirable to store fresh foods, noodles, and other foods under constant temperature and high humidity storage conditions. For this reason, brine refrigeration equipment that cools the inside of a refrigeration chamber with brine having a large latent heat is being used.

Conventional brine refrigeration devices cool the refrigerator compartment by flowing cooled brine onto the wall of the refrigerator compartment. The cooling surface is
Two types of cooling systems are known: a four-sided cooling system that includes left and right sides, a top surface, and a back surface, and a five-sided cooling system that includes a bottom surface. This brine refrigerator reduces the temperature difference between the cooling surface and the inside of the refrigerator,
High humidity can be achieved by increasing the outdoor temperature of the cooling surface.

However, when this conventional brine refrigeration system is not loaded and there are no stored items in the refrigerator compartment, it is possible to keep the internal temperature variation within 1°C due to the convection phenomenon of cold air in the refrigerator compartment. It has become clear that when the storage container becomes full, the temperature of each stored item increases, making it impossible to achieve ideal storage conditions. This is because when the refrigerator compartment is filled with stored items, no convection of cold air can be expected, and the interior of the refrigerator compartment is cooled only by heat transfer from the cooling surface of the internal wall surface. Therefore, in order to eliminate temperature differences due to differences in storage locations,
A large amount of dead space must be taken up in the refrigerator compartment, which deteriorates storage efficiency.

``Object of the Invention'' Based on the awareness of the problems with conventional brine refrigeration devices, the present invention has been developed to develop a brine refrigeration system that can reduce variations in temperature distribution in the room even when the refrigerator compartment is filled with stored items. The purpose is to obtain equipment.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a brine refrigeration device in which a mechanical part including a circulation pump of the cooling brine supply device can be placed in the lower part of the refrigeration room.

``Summary of the Invention'' The present invention has been devised by reconsidering the fixed idea in brine refrigeration equipment that a brine flow path is provided on the wall of the refrigerator compartment, and has found that this fixed idea is actually the cause of variations in temperature inside the refrigerator. This conclusion led to the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a plurality of shelves in the refrigerator compartment,
Each of these shelf boards is provided with a brine pipe through which cooling brine flows, and the brine pipes of each shelf board are communicated with each other, and the cooling brine is caused to flow through this series of brine pipes by a cooling brine supply device including a circulation pump. It is characterized by what it did.

In this way, install multiple shelves in the refrigerator compartment.

When temperature-controlled brine is flowed through the brine pipe installed in the refrigerator, the cooling space shared by each shelf is limited to the narrow space between adjacent shelves5, thus suppressing the variation in temperature within the refrigerator compartment. becomes possible. In addition, on the shelf board,
The top and bottom surfaces of the refrigerator compartment may also be included.

Preferably, the shelf board is made of a heat transfer material such as a metal material.

Furthermore, if the cooling brine supply device including the circulation pump is arranged at the lower part of the refrigeration room, the stability (weight balance) of the entire refrigeration system will be increased. Further, by generating a brine flow from the brine pipe on the upper shelf to the brine pipe on the lower shelf, more efficient cooling can be achieved. In this arrangement, in order to avoid placing a load on the circulation pump during startup, the supply connecting pipe from the circulation pump to the brine pipe on the top shelf blocks the brine flow from the shelf side to the circulation pump side. It is desirable to provide a check valve that closes when the circulation pump stops, and an on-off valve that closes when the circulation pump stops, on the discharge side connecting pipe from the brine pipe of the lowest shelf board to the circulation pump. Natural flow of brine in the brine pipe of the shelf board can be reliably prevented.

It is also desirable to connect an auxiliary tank to the brine flow path via a throttle. This auxiliary tank absorbs changes in brine volume due to temperature changes and prevents damage to the brine pipes due to pressure changes.

"Embodiments of the Invention" The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated embodiments. An example of the external appearance of the brine refrigeration apparatus 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. Refrigerator room 1
A plurality of shelf boards 12 are arranged and fixed within the shelf 1. The shelf board 12 is made of a heat conductive material such as an aluminum alloy, and the peripheral wall surface 13 of the refrigerator compartment 11 is made of a suitable heat insulating material. For convenience, the shelf board 12 has numbers 1 to 5 in order from the top.
The symbol is attached. The lower part of the refrigerator compartment 11 is a machine compartment 14 that houses a cooling brine supply device.

A series of brine pipes 15 are fixed to each shelf board 12 in a meandering manner to increase the contact area. The brine pipe 15 may be formed separately and fixed to the lower surface of the shelf board 12, or alternatively, the shelf board 12 may be formed from two metal plates laminated and bonded together, and a series of brine pipes may be formed between these two metal plates. It can also be constructed by forming a flow path (roll bonding).

A connecting vibrator 16 is connected between the brine pipes 15 of the upper and lower shelf boards 12.
are connected to form a series of brine channels. The brine pipe 15 on the top shelf board 12 is connected to the brine heat exchanger 20 via the supply side connection pipe 17 and the check valve 18.
5 via the discharge side connection pipe 21 and the electromagnetic on-off valve 22,
Circulation pump 2 that flows brine to the brine heat exchanger 20 side
Connected to 3.

The check valve 18 allows brine to flow from the brine heat exchanger 20 to the shelf plate 12 side, but does not allow the reverse flow. Further, the electromagnetic on-off valve 22 is linked to the circulation pump 23, and opens the flow path when the circulation pump 23 is in operation, and closes the flow path when the operation is stopped. As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge side connecting pipe 21 is first guided to the height of the uppermost shelf board 12, and then connected to the electromagnetic on-off valve 22. An auxiliary tank (accumulator) 26 is connected to this discharge side connecting pipe 21 via a capillary tube (throttle) 25.

Brine heat exchanger 20 is cooled by a well-known refrigeration cycle. That is, in the brine heat exchanger 20, an evaporator 30 using refrigerant gas is disposed, and this evaporator 30 includes a compressor 31, a condenser 32, a dryer 33, and a capillary connected in order in the flow direction of the refrigerant. tube 34
Together with each element, it constitutes a refrigeration cycle. By the well-known refrigeration effect of this refrigeration cycle, the brine in the brine heat exchanger 20 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, and this is supplied to the series of brine flow paths by the circulation pump 23.

Note that, excluding the condenser 32 (each element of the refrigeration cycle, the cooling brine supply device consisting of the brine heat exchanger 20 and the circulation pump 23
It is located inside.

Therefore, the present brine refrigeration system having the above configuration has a circulation pump 2
3 and compressor 31, the brine heat exchanger 2
At 0, the cooled brine flows through the brine tubes 15 of each shelf 12. That is, the brine cooled to a predetermined temperature first enters the brine pipe 15 of the uppermost shelf J2, cools the surrounding area, and descends sequentially, cooling the surrounding area in the process of flowing down. Brine pipe 15 on the lowest shelf board 12
The brine that has left the brine enters the brine heat exchanger 20 via the circulation pump 23, is cooled again, and the same circulation is repeated thereafter.

Since the shelf boards 12 are provided to divide the inside of the refrigerator compartment 11 into upper and lower parts, the stored items (food) stored between the upper and lower shelf boards 12 are effectively cooled down, and variations in temperature distribution are reduced. Almost never occurs. In addition, by preparing a storage container that can be inserted between the upper and lower shelf boards 12 with almost no gap, and loading and unloading stored items in each storage container, the escape of cold air from the refrigerator compartment 11 when loading and unloading can be reduced. At the same time, storage efficiency can be improved.

The temperature in the refrigerator compartment 11 can be controlled by the cooling temperature of brine in the brine heat exchanger 20, the brine flow rate by the circulation pump 23, and the operation and stop of the circulation pump 23.

In the illustrated embodiment, the electromagnetic on-off valve 22 closes when the circulation pump 23 is stopped. Therefore, the brine in the brine pipe 15 of the shelf board 12 does not flow down into the brine heat exchanger 20 or the circulation pump 2. Once the discharge side connecting pipe 21 is connected to the uppermost shelf fi! The fact that the brine is moving at a height of 12 is also effective in preventing the brine from flowing down. In conventional devices, a cooling brine supply device is placed in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment to prevent brine from escaping from the brine pipe, but this conventional structure has poor weight balance and lacks stability. According to the structure of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent brine from escaping from the brine pipe, and to dispose heavy items below the refrigerator compartment 11, thereby increasing the stability of the brine refrigerator.

Particularly when the circulation pump 23 is stopped and there is a change in the volume of the brine, the brine is exchanged between the discharge side connecting pipe 21 and the auxiliary tank 26, thereby preventing damage to the apparatus due to pressure rise. capillary tube 25
acts to flow brine when the pressure difference between the discharge side connecting pipe 21 and the auxiliary tank 26 exceeds a certain value.

The circulation pump 23 can also be provided on the outlet side of the brine heat exchanger 20, as shown by broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, it is not preferable to provide kinetic energy by the circulation pump 23 to the brine cooled to a predetermined temperature by the brine heat exchanger 20 from the viewpoint of precise temperature control.

Therefore, it is preferable to install the circulation pump 23 on the inlet side of the brine heat exchanger 20 where the brine temperature is high after being circulated through the refrigerator compartment.

In addition, in humid refrigerators, there is a risk that bacteria will multiply and mold will develop due to the high humidity. To prevent this, an ozone generator or ion generator is installed outside the refrigerator, and the generated ozone or ions are pumped into the refrigerator periodically for a set time using a timer through a duct that penetrates the refrigerator wall. It is possible to kill bacteria and mold or prevent their growth by using the oxidizing effect of ozone or ions.

"Effects of the Invention" As described above, the brine refrigeration system of the present invention has multiple shelf boards installed in the refrigerating room, and cooled brine is flowed through the brine pipes temporarily installed on the shelves. Only the narrow space between matching shelves needs to be cooled. When placed separately, there are cooling surfaces in the refrigerator compartment at intervals between the shelves, so even when the refrigerator compartment is filled with stored items, variations in temperature can be suppressed to a small level.

Providing the cooling brine supply device including the circulation pump in the lower part of the refrigeration compartment increases the stability of the entire refrigeration system. In addition, in this arrangement, a check valve is provided on the supply side connecting pipe from the circulation pump to the brine pipe on the top shelf to prevent brine flow from the shelf to the circulation pump, and Providing an on-off valve that closes when the circulation pump stops on the discharge side supply pipe from the brine pipe to the circulation pump will reliably prevent brine from escaping from the brine pipe when the circulation pump stops, and will also prevent the circulation pump from escaping when the circulation pump stops. It is possible to reduce the load on the

Furthermore, if an auxiliary tank is connected to the brine flow path through a throttle, the auxiliary tank absorbs changes in brine volume due to temperature changes, and no pressure changes are exerted on the brine pipe.

... Shelf board, 14 ... Machine room, 15 ... Brine pipe, 16 ... Connection vibe, 17 ... Supply side connection pipe, 1
8... Check valve, 20... Brine heat exchanger, 21.
...Discharge side connection pipe, 22...Solenoid on-off valve 523...
Circulation pump, 25... Capillary tube, 26...
・Auxiliary tank, 30... Evaporator, 31... Compressor,
32... Condenser, 33... Dryer, 34... Capillary tube.

Patent applicant: Nippon Freezer Co., Ltd. Norio Tatemi Same agent Kunio Miura

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figures show an embodiment of the brine refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a transparent perspective view, FIG. 2 is a system connection diagram, and FIG. 3 is an external perspective view. 10...Brine refrigerator, 11...Refrigerating room, 12
/ Figure 3 Teitouri Neho Seisho (spontaneous) 1 Indication of the incident Heisei 1 Heisei Period Permit No. 36999 2 Name of the invention Brine refrigeration device 3 Person making the amendment Representative Susumu Kurita Address Name Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture Iizuka-cho 1747-9 Standing Corporate Yonbancho Heights 501 Telephone 03 (234) 0290 6. Contents of amendment (1) Next to “Can do.” on page 7, line 11 of the specification, “
This fence plate 12 may be provided with ventilation holes that allow passage of cold air. ” is inserted. (2) “Brine heat exchanger 20” on page 7, line 16 of the specification
" is corrected to "circulation pump 23." (3) "Circulation pump 23 that flows brine to the brine heat exchanger 20 side" on page 7, lines 18 to 20 of the specification is corrected to "brine heat exchanger 20." (4) [Brine heat exchanger 20J] on page 8, line 1 of the specification
is corrected to "circulation pump 23". (5) "The circulation pump 23 can also be provided on the outlet side of the brine heat exchanger 20, as shown by broken lines in FIGS. "The circulation pump 23 is the brine heat exchanger 20 in FIG.
Although they are provided on the exit side of the cell and on the same population side in FIG. 2, it is also possible to reverse this relationship, as shown by the broken line in both figures. ” he corrected.

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of shelves are provided in the refrigerator compartment, each shelf is provided with a brine pipe through which cooling brine flows, and the brine pipes on each shelf are communicated, and this series of brine pipes is used for cooling. drain the brine,
A brine refrigeration device, characterized in that it is connected to a cooling brine supply device including a circulation pump. (2) The brine refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the shelves are made of a heat transfer material. (3) In claim 1, the cooling brine supply device including the circulation pump is disposed at the lower part of the refrigerating room and directs the brine flow from the brine pipe on the upper shelf to the brine pipe on the lower shelf. brine refrigeration equipment. (4) The brine refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the brine pipe is connected to an auxiliary tank via a throttle. (5) In claim 3, the supply side connecting pipe from the circulation pump to the brine pipe of the uppermost shelf board is provided with a check valve that prevents brine flow from the shelf board side to the circulation pump side,
The brine refrigeration system is equipped with an on-off valve that closes when the circulation pump stops on the discharge side connecting pipe from the brine pipe on the bottom shelf to the circulation pump.