JPH10236536A - Heat insulation container for meal distribution and meal distribution system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To distribute meals with their temperatures maintained at proper levels, by putting lidded eating utensils storing foods which need heat insulation into recessed parts provided with heating elements, thereby heat-insulating the foods by means of the heating elements. SOLUTION: Haters 8 as electric heating elements are fixed to a lower tray 4, recessed parts A, B, C, and D out of the five recessed parts 2 (A-E), of a tray, by means of heat-resistant silicone adhesive or the like. The heaters 8 are connected to a receptacle 10 via a heat control part 9, which comprises switches for turning on/off the heaters 8 and an electronic circuits as for adjusting the temperatures of the surfaces of the heaters. The heaters 8 are automatically subjected to temperature adjustment by the heat control part 9. In the case of food which needs cold storage, the energization of the heater 8 is turned off and a cold storing medium 12 is put in an eating utensil 11, or the cold storing medium 12 is put in the corresponding recessed part 2 of an upper tray 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to rice, soup, main dish,
The present invention relates to a food distribution insulated container that can distribute meals such as side dishes to a home, a hospital, a school, or the like in a state where the food is kept at an appropriate temperature or cooled, and a meal distribution system using the container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, a food distribution center or the like distributes a main food and a side food in containers each having a lid, and puts the containers in a box of styrofoam or the like and delivers them by car.

[0003] It is also practiced to put a large number of containers with lids in a tray-like box as they are, load hot and cold foods separately in a storage compartment and a refrigerator of a transporting car, and deliver them by car. .

On the other hand, as a heat-insulating box for food distribution, there is known a heat-insulating box described in JP-A-7-241246, in which containers with lids are vertically stacked on a heat insulating sheet of a heating element or a cooling element. Also, as a transport vehicle, Tokuho 4
There is known a storage truck for feeding food, which heats a storage described in JP-A-48657 with an electric heater, accommodates a food container therein, and delivers it.

[0005]

However, when a meal is distributed in a box made of styrofoam or the like, since the heat retention is not sufficient, the hot meal becomes cold and the cold meal becomes warm.

[0006] Further, the heat retention box described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-241246 keeps a container with a lid warm or cold, but does not combine the staple food and the side food eaten by each person into one set. In addition, since the tableware is not kept warm or cold for each tableware, for example, if the tableware is taken out of the heat retention box and left to stand, the tableware will be cooled or warmed.

[0007] In the case where a container with a lid is placed on a tray as it is or arranged in a tray and placed in a refrigerator and a refrigerator of a transport vehicle for food distribution, the door of the refrigerator or the refrigerator is opened and closed during the delivery, so that the temperature in the refrigerator is reduced. It fluctuated greatly, and it was difficult to always maintain an appropriate temperature. Also, the transporter described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-241246 has a food storage container stored in a heated storage compartment to keep the temperature warm, but a set of staple foods and side meals that each person eats in the same manner as described above. Because it is not, it is necessary to take out the food container from the storage and keep it cool or warm, and it is necessary to put it in another heat and cold storage.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and after serving a staple food and prepared foods in a container with a lid, delivering by car or the like, and until eating these meals, An object of the present invention is to provide a food distribution insulated container capable of maintaining foods placed on each tableware at an appropriate temperature, respectively, and a food distribution system using the thermal insulation container.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and the invention according to claim 1 comprises a tray having a plurality of recesses for placing tableware with a lid thereon. An outer container provided with a heat insulating material surrounding each concave portion of the tray, a lid provided with a heat insulating partition wall surrounding tableware with a lid placed on each concave portion of the tray, A food distribution unit having a heating element for keeping the inside of at least one of the plurality of recesses warm, a heat generation control unit for controlling heat generation of the heating element, and a power supply outlet from outside. It is an insulated container.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the tableware with a lid containing the food that needs to be kept warm can be put in the recess provided with the heating element and kept warm by the heating element. Since the food distribution container can be supplied with power from the outside, the heat retention state of the heating element can be maintained for a long time. On the other hand, since the space between the recesses of the tray is insulated from each other by the heat insulating material provided in the outer container and the lid, the food in the dish with the lid in the recess which is not kept warm is heated by the other recesses kept warm. The temperature can be prevented from rising due to the influence of. Therefore, it is possible to distribute the food in the tableware with a lid accommodated in each concave portion while maintaining the food at an appropriate temperature. Further, since the tray is placed on the outer container, it can be removed and cleaned, and the heat generator and the heat radiator can be replaced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat-insulating container for food distribution according to the first aspect, a radiator for placing a tableware with a lid is disposed inside the concave portion for keeping heat, and the heat-generating element is provided with the radiator. It is arranged behind the body and behind the tray.

According to the above configuration, the heat from the heating element can be efficiently transmitted to the tableware with the lid via the heat radiating element.
In particular, when the tray itself is formed of a material having a relatively low heat transfer coefficient in order to enhance the heat insulation between the concave portions, heat can be effectively collected in the concave portions by a synergistic effect with the radiator.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an insulated food distribution container according to the first or second aspect, further comprising a plurality of the heat generating portions.
Each heating element is individually controlled by the control unit.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the inside of the concave portion kept warm by the heating element can be maintained at different temperatures, so that the food stored in the tableware with the lid is distributed while maintaining the respective food at the optimum temperature. Can be.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the insulated food distribution container according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a cold storage agent that can be accommodated in the dish with the lid or in the recess. It is assumed that.

According to the above configuration, the regenerator can be put into the dish with the lid accommodated in the recess or into the recess insulated from the outside, so that the food in the dish with the lid can be effectively kept cool for a long time. be able to.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier having a container capable of accommodating one or more of the thermal insulation containers for food distribution according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, and a container accommodating portion accommodating the container. The container has an outlet receiving power from the outside and a connector for power supply connected to an outlet of the insulated container for food distribution, and the transport vehicle has a power supply unit for power supply to the container. It is a food distribution system characterized by the following.

According to the above configuration, since the container has the outlet for receiving power supply from the outside and the power supply connector for connecting to the outlet of the insulated food container, the container can accommodate the insulated food container in the container. In addition, power can be continuously supplied from the outside of the container to the heating element that requires heat generation. In addition, even when the container is mounted in the container storage section of the transport vehicle, power can be supplied from the power supply section of the transport vehicle to the insulated food distribution container via the container. Therefore, before storing the insulated food container in the container, before loading the container in the transport vehicle, after loading the container in the transport vehicle, after unloading the container from the transport vehicle, and after removing the insulated thermal insulation container from the container In any of the processes, the power can be continuously supplied to the food distribution insulated container directly or via the container, so that the food in the tableware with a lid in the food distribution insulated container can be distributed while always being kept at an appropriate temperature. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the food distribution system according to the fifth aspect, the container has a refrigerator for cooling the inside of the container.

According to the above configuration, the inside of the container is kept cool by the refrigerator, thereby keeping the cold food or the normal-temperature food in the heat-insulating container for distribution, while the warm food is a heating element in the heat-insulating container for distribution. Food can be distributed while keeping it warm.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the food distribution system according to the fifth aspect, the interior of the container is kept cool by a regenerator.

According to the above configuration, the inside of the container is kept cool by the regenerator, thereby keeping the cold food or the normal temperature food in the food warming container in the container cool. The food can be distributed while keeping the heat in the heating element.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the food distribution system according to the fifth aspect, the transport vehicle has a refrigerator for cooling the inside of the container storage section.

According to the above configuration, since the inside of the container accommodating portion of the transport vehicle can be kept cool by the refrigerator, it is possible to more effectively keep the cold food or the normal temperature food in the food distribution warming container in the container. In addition, the warm food can be distributed while keeping the heat in a heating state in a heat-insulating container for distribution.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0026]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an insulated container for food distribution.

In the insulated food container 1, for example, an upper tray 3 and a lower tray 4 provided with five concave portions 2 are placed on an outer container 5, and the outer container 5 further has concave portions 2 (A to 2). A lid 6 having an insulating partition wall 15 surrounding E) is covered.
The outer container 5 and the lid 6 are mainly made of a heat insulating material having a relatively low thermal conductivity such as styrene foam or urethane foam, and the inside and outside thereof are formed of a molded article of a resin such as polypropylene. Each has a heat insulating material 14 therein. Therefore, the insides of the recesses 2 in the trays 3 and 4 can be insulated from each other.

The upper tray 3 is made of heat-resistant polypropylene, heat-resistant A
It is formed of a molded body of a resin having high heat resistance such as BS, and among the five concave portions 2 (A to E) of the tray, concave portions A,
In B, C, and D, a radiator 7 having a shape conforming to the shape of the lower half of the tableware 11 is fixed to the upper tray 3 with a heat-resistant silicone adhesive or the like.

The lower tray 4 is made of heat-resistant polypropylene, heat-resistant A
It is formed of a molded body of a resin having high heat resistance such as BS, and among the five concave portions 2 (A to E) of the tray, concave portions A,
In B, C, and D, a heater 8 as an electric heating element is fixed to the lower tray 4 with a heat-resistant silicone adhesive or the like. The heater 8 is connected to an outlet 10 via a heat control unit 9, and the heat control unit 9 is composed of a switch for turning on and off each heater and an electronic circuit for controlling the temperature of the heater surface. The temperature of the heater is automatically adjusted by the heat generation control unit 9, and more preferably, the temperature can be set by changing the set value.

For example, in the recesses A to E, small dishes such as tableware for rice, miso soup, dishes for main dishes, dishes for side dishes, pickles and the like are placed, respectively. A bowl with buckwheat noodles in the recess C, a recess D
Can be put in a combination like a bowl with salad or cold guy. The heaters 8 are incorporated in the recesses A to D. When, for example, a container containing soba soup which does not require heat retention is inserted into the recesses, the heater 8 may be turned off. .

In the case of sashimi or the like that needs to be kept cool, the power supply to the heater 8 is turned off to put the cold storage agent 12 inside the tableware 11 or the cold storage agent 12 is put inside the concave portion 2 of the upper tray 3. Put in and keep cool.

Since the upper tray 3, the lower tray 4 and the outer container 5 are independent of each other, the upper tray 3 can be removed for cleaning and the heat radiator 7 can be replaced. Of course, the outer container 5 can also be cleaned. it can. In addition, the power is supplied from the outlet 10 via the heat generation control unit 9 to the respective heaters 8 along the lower tray 4 by wiring. Note that a lead wire, a wiring bar, or the like can be used for the wiring.

The outer container 5 and the lid 6 are stopped by stoppers 13 attached to the left and right side surfaces.

Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which five concave portions are provided, the number can be increased or decreased as necessary. Further, at least one or more heaters 8 and heat radiators 7 as heating elements may be used.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a container for accommodating a heat-insulating container for food distribution.

The container 20 is covered with a heat insulating material 21 in the front, rear, left, right, up and down directions, and has two doors 26 on the front surface. In FIG. 2, the thermal insulation containers 1 for food distribution are housed in a two-row, five-tiered shelf shape, and a door 26 is provided in each row. A power supply plug 22 connected to an external power supply is provided outside the container 20, and power is supplied from the power supply plug 22 to power supply rails 23 provided in two rows in a vertical direction inside the container.
The power supply rail 23 is provided with a plurality of container internal plugs 24 that connect to the outlet 10 of the thermal insulation container when the food distribution thermal insulation container 1 is inserted into the container. Therefore, if a power supply is connected to the power plug of the container, electricity can also be supplied to the heat retaining container 1.

In the container 20, a refrigerator 27 using a refrigerator compressor or the like is provided inside or outside the container to keep the inside of the container cool. In the case of a small container, a cold storage agent 28 can be placed inside the container 20 to keep it cool, or a refrigerator can be provided in a transport vehicle and the inside of the container can be kept cool by the cool air.

The container 20 has a caster 25 on the bottom.
Is provided to facilitate loading and unloading to and from trucks.

Although FIG. 2 shows that the thermal insulation containers for food distribution are arranged in two rows and are arranged in five stages on the shelf, the rows and the number of stages can be selected as appropriate.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a truck for carrying and distributing food by mounting a container accommodating a heat insulating container for distribution.

The container of the transport vehicle 30 is provided with a container accommodating portion 33.
Alternatively, the door 35 provided at the rear is opened and housed. When the inside of the container storage section 33 is to be refrigerated, the front, rear, left, right, and upper and lower sides of the container storage section 33 are surrounded by a heat insulating material, and a refrigerator 34 is provided therein.

A generator 31 is installed in the transport vehicle 30,
The case where four containers 20 are mounted is illustrated. A power plug 32 to which the power plug 22 of each container can be connected when the containers 20 are mounted is provided on the carrier of the transport vehicle 30. Power is supplied from the generator 31 to these power plugs. When the container 20 is mounted on the carrier 30 and set at a predetermined position, the power plug 32 of the carrier and the power plug 22 of the container are connected. Therefore, in the process of distributing food in a transport vehicle, the power generated by the generator is supplied to the thermal insulation container for distribution via the power plug of the transport vehicle and the power plug of the container, and further heats the heater in the thermal insulation container. In addition, power from the generator is also supplied to a transport vehicle for refrigeration inside the container or a refrigerator of the container. Although the above-described transport vehicle is an example in which four containers 20 are mounted, the number and the arrangement of containers can be appropriately selected.

Further, by selecting the capacity of the heater in the thermal insulation container for distribution and the thermal insulation performance of the thermal insulation container, the heater in the thermal insulation container is energized while the interior of the container is kept cool, so that the thermal insulation food is transported at an appropriate temperature. Meals can be served by car.

Further, in the case of distributing food to each household, the insulated food container is taken out of the container and delivered as a set. In each household, the outlet of the insulated container is connected to the household outlet until the meal is eaten. It can be kept at an appropriate temperature. Also, in facilities such as hospitals and schools, if containers are delivered in units of containers and power plugs of the containers are connected to outlets of each facility, it is possible to keep the temperature at an appropriate temperature until eating.

[0045]

As is clear from the above description, according to the insulated food distribution container of the present invention, the tableware with the lid containing the food that needs to be kept warm is put into the recess provided with the heating element and is heated by the heating element. Can be kept warm. Since the food distribution container can be supplied with power from the outside, the heat retention state of the heating element can be maintained for a long time. On the other hand, since the space between the recesses of the tray is insulated from each other by the heat insulating material provided in the outer container and the lid, the food in the dish with the lid in the recess which is not kept warm is heated by the other recesses kept warm. The temperature can be prevented from rising due to the influence of. Therefore, it is possible to distribute the food in the tableware with a lid accommodated in each concave portion while maintaining the food at an appropriate temperature. Further, since the tray is placed on the outer container, it can be removed and cleaned, and the heat generator and the heat radiator can be replaced.

According to the food distribution system of the present invention, the heat storage container for food distribution is housed in a container, and the food is delivered in a heated and cooled state by a transport vehicle, and the temperature is kept at an appropriate level until the meal is finally started. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a food warming container according to the present invention,
(A), (b), and (c) are a plan view, a front view, and a side view of a heat-insulating container for food distribution, respectively.

FIGS. 2 (a), (b) and (c) are a perspective view, a front view and a rear view, respectively, of a container used in a food distribution system of the present invention as a second embodiment.

FIGS. 3A and 3B each show a third embodiment.
It is the side view and top view of the transport vehicle used for the food distribution system of this invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insulation container for food distribution 2 Depression 3 Upper tray 4 Lower tray 5 Outer container 6 Lid 7 Heat radiator 8 Heater 9 Control part 10 Outlet 11 Tableware 12 Cold storage agent 13 Clamps 14 Insulation material 20 Container 21 Insulation material 22 Power plug 23 Power rail 24 Internal plug 25 Caster 27 Refrigerator 28 Cool storage agent 30 Transport vehicle 31 Generator 32 Power plug 33 Container housing 34 Refrigerator

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI B65D 88/74 B65D 88/74 F25D 11/00 101 F25D 11/00 101D

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A tray in which a plurality of recesses for mounting tableware with a lid are formed, an outer container provided with a heat insulating material surrounding each recess of the tray, and placed in each recess of the tray. A lid having a heat insulating partition surrounding the tableware with a lid, a heating element for keeping the inside of at least one of the plurality of recesses of the tray warm, and controlling heat generation of the heating element. An insulated food distribution container comprising a heat generation control unit and an external power supply outlet. 2. A radiator for placing tableware with a lid inside the concave part for keeping heat is provided, and the heat generator is provided on the back side of the tray behind the radiator. The food distribution insulated container according to claim 1, wherein 3. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the heat generating portions are provided.
3. The heat insulation container for food distribution according to claim 1, wherein each of the heating elements is individually controlled by the heat generation control unit. 4. The insulated food distribution container according to claim 1, further comprising a regenerator that can be stored in the dish with the lid or in the recess. 5. A container capable of accommodating at least one or more of the insulated food distribution containers according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and a transport vehicle having a container accommodating portion accommodating the containers. The container has an outlet for receiving power from the outside, and a connector for power supply connected to an outlet of the insulated container for food distribution, and the carrier has a power supply unit for power supply to the container. Food distribution system. 6. The food distribution system according to claim 5, wherein the container has a refrigerator for cooling the inside of the container. 7. The food distribution system according to claim 5, wherein the inside of the container is kept cool by a regenerator. 8. The food distribution system according to claim 5, wherein the transport vehicle has a refrigerator for cooling the inside of the container storage unit.