JP7806531B2 - Showcase and Showcase System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a showcase and a showcase system.

Patent Document 1 proposes a showcase that keeps stored products cooled. The showcase proposed in Patent Document 1 has a storage chamber in the case body, which has a front opening, and multiple product placement shelves arranged in multiple levels in the vertical direction, with products being displayed by placing them on each product placement shelf.

In addition, inside the case body but outside the storage chamber, an air passage is formed for air drawn in through an intake port located at the front lower part of the storage chamber, and an evaporator is provided in the air passage above the storage chamber.

Air passing through this air passage is cooled by an evaporator and then blown out through an outlet located at the front upper part of the storage chamber. The air blown out from the outlet is drawn into an intake and circulated through the air passage, cooling the air inside the storage chamber and maintaining the products placed on the product shelves at the desired temperature.

In this type of showcase, the evaporator is located above the storage chamber, which allows the volume of the storage chamber to be significantly larger than when the evaporator is located on the rear or lower side of the storage chamber, ensuring sufficient product display space.

Patent No. 3695885

In general showcases, a drain pipe is installed below the storage chamber in the case body to discharge drain water, such as condensation water generated in the evaporator, to the outside. This drain pipe needs to be gradually inclined downward from one end of its length to the other in order to allow the drain water to circulate.

However, in showcases such as that proposed in Patent Document 1, the evaporator and other components are installed above the storage chamber, reducing the height dimension of the lower area of the storage chamber in the case body and expanding the volume of the storage chamber, making it difficult to install a drain pipe at an angle below the storage chamber.

One possible solution to this problem would be to raise the case body and increase the height of the lower area of the storage chamber, but this would reduce the volume of the storage chamber, which is undesirable.

In light of the above situation, the present invention aims to provide a showcase and showcase system that can efficiently discharge drain water while maintaining the volume of the storage chamber, even when a cooling device is installed in the upper area of the storage chamber.

To achieve the above objective, the showcase of the present invention comprises an air circulation means for circulating air between a storage chamber defined within the case body and an air duct provided within the case body in communication with the storage chamber, and a cooling means installed in an area above the storage chamber in the case body and cooling the air circulated by the air circulation means. This showcase keeps merchandise stored in the storage chamber cooled, and is characterized by the presence of a drainage pipe disposed at the front end of the upper part of the case body above the storage chamber, sloping gradually downward from one end to the other along the width of the case body, and through which drainage water generated by the evaporator constituting the cooling means flows and is discharged.

The present invention is also characterized in that the above-mentioned showcase is provided with an inlet hole formed in the front end portion of the upper part of the case body, which introduces a portion of the air passing toward the condenser constituting the cooling means, and an outlet hole formed in the front end portion, which sends out toward the condenser the air that has been introduced through the inlet hole and passed near the drain pipe.

The present invention also features a showcase as described above that is provided with a blower fan disposed at the front end portion, which forcibly introduces a portion of the air passing toward the condenser through the inlet hole and forcibly sends it out to the condenser through the outlet hole.

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned showcase, the heat from the condenser constituting the cooling means is used to heat the drain water and cause it to flow into the drain pipe.

The present invention is also characterized in that the above-mentioned showcase is provided with an evaporation tray that temporarily stores the drain water and is thermally connected to the condenser.

The present invention is also characterized in that the showcase is provided with a transfer member that transfers heat from the condenser constituting the cooling means to the drain pipe.

The present invention also features the above-mentioned showcase, which further comprises an interior lighting element provided at the front end portion and illuminating the storage compartment, and a transmission means for transmitting heat generated by the interior lighting element to the drain pipe.

The showcase system according to the present invention is configured by arranging a plurality of the above-described showcases side by side, and is characterized in that the drain pipe is connected in a manner that allows communication with the drain pipe provided in an adjacent showcase.

According to this invention, a drain pipe is arranged at the front end of the upper part of the case body above the storage chamber, sloping gradually downward from one end to the other along the width of the case body. This pipe channels and discharges drain water generated by the evaporator that constitutes the cooling means. This effectively ensures that the volume of the storage chamber is maintained and drain water can be efficiently discharged, even when the cooling means is installed in the upper area of the storage chamber.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, a plurality of the above-described showcases are arranged side by side, and each showcase drain pipe is connected in a manner that allows it to communicate with the drain pipe provided in an adjacent showcase. This has the effect of enabling the drain water generated in each showcase to be commonly discharged, and facilitating the installation of drain water discharge.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a schematic internal structure of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a showcase system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of a modified example of the showcase shown in FIG.

Below, preferred embodiments of the showcase and showcase system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. The showcase 10 shown here is installed in a store 1, such as a convenience store or supermarket. As shown in Figure 2, a number of such showcases 10 are arranged side by side to form a single showcase system 100, each of which includes a case body 11. In other words, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the showcase system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The case body 11 is an insulated housing with an opening 11a on the front (hereinafter also referred to as the front opening). The case body 11 defines a storage chamber 12 within itself, and is also equipped with an air duct 20, a circulation fan (air circulation means) F1, a refrigeration circuit (cooling means) 30, an evaporation tray 40, and a drain pipe 50.

The storage room 12 is a defined room facing the front opening 11a, and multiple product placement shelves 13 are arranged in a vertical line. Each of the multiple product placement shelves 13 is used to place and display products.

In addition, although not shown in the figure, multiple holes are formed in the back panel 14a that forms the back of the storage chamber 12. These holes are provided at multiple height levels and are elongated holes with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction. Explaining in more detail, the holes are formed in the lower part of each product placement shelf 13.

Furthermore, an intake port 15 is formed at the front lower part of the storage chamber 12, and an exhaust port 16 is formed at the front upper part of the storage chamber 12. The intake port 15 is an opening for drawing in air from inside the storage chamber 12 and extends in the left-right direction of the storage chamber 12. The exhaust port 16 is an opening for blowing air into the storage chamber 12 and extends in the left-right direction of the storage chamber 12. A straightening member (not shown), for example, with a honeycomb structure, is attached to this exhaust port 16.

The air duct 20 is an air passage that runs from the intake port 15 to the outlet port 16 and each hole. This air duct 20 is composed of a lower air duct 21, a first rear-side air duct 22, a storage box 23, a second rear-side air duct 24, a third rear-side air duct 25, and an upper air duct 26.

The lower air passage 21 is located below the bottom panel 14b that forms the bottom surface of the storage chamber 12. This lower air passage 21 is connected to the air intake port 15. The first rear air passage 22 is located behind the rear panel 14a and in front of the rear wall portion 17 of the case body 11, extending vertically. The lower end of this first rear air passage 22 is connected to the lower air passage 21.

The storage box 23 is made of insulating material and is installed at the rear end of the upper wall 18 of the case body 11. The interior of this storage box 23 is connected to the first rear-side air duct 22 through a first communication port 18a formed in the upper wall 18.

The second rear-side air passage 24 is provided on the rear side of the rear panel 14a and in front of the first rear-side air passage 22, extending vertically. This second rear-side air passage 24 is separated from the first rear-side air passage 22. The upper end of this second rear-side air passage 24 communicates with the interior of the storage box 23 through a second communication port 18b formed in the upper wall portion 18 of the case body 11.

The third rear-side air passage 25 is provided on the rear side of the rear panel 14a and in front of the second rear-side air passage 24, extending vertically. This third rear-side air passage 25 is separated from the second rear-side air passage 24 with their lower ends communicating with each other, and is in communication with the storage chamber 12 through various holes.

The upper air passage 26 is provided above the top panel that forms the top surface of the storage chamber 12 and below the upper wall portion 18, extending in the front-to-rear direction. The rear end of this upper air passage 26 is connected to the upper end of the third rear-side air passage 25, and the front end is connected to the air outlet 16.

The circulation fan F1 is driven by commands given by a control means (not shown) and is installed at the rear end of the lower air duct 21. When driven, this circulation fan F1 circulates air between the storage chamber 12 and the air duct 20.

In this embodiment, the circulation fan F1 is installed at a specified location (rear end) of the lower air duct 21, but the present invention does not place any particular restrictions on where the circulation fan F1 is installed; it may be installed anywhere as long as it can perform the functions of the circulation fan F1 described below.

The refrigeration circuit 30 is composed of a compressor 31, a condenser 32, an expansion mechanism 33, and an evaporator 34 connected in sequence by a refrigerant pipe 35, and contains a refrigerant sealed inside.

The compressor 31 is installed outside the storage box 23 on the upper wall portion 18 of the case body 11. This compressor 31 operates in response to commands given by the control means. When operating, it draws in refrigerant from the evaporator 34, compresses it, and discharges it as high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant.

The condenser 32, like the compressor 31, is installed outside the storage box 23 on the upper wall portion 18, and in this embodiment, is installed further forward than the storage box 23. The condenser 32 condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 31 by heat exchange with the surrounding air, and discharges it as low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant.

The expansion mechanism 33 is composed of, for example, an electronic expansion valve or a capillary tube, and is installed outside the storage box 23, just like the compressor 31 and condenser 32. This expansion mechanism 33 adiabatically expands the low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant condensed in the condenser 32 and sends it to the evaporator 34 as low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant.

The evaporator 34 is housed inside the storage box 23 and evaporates the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant delivered from the expansion mechanism 33 through heat exchange with the surrounding air, thereby cooling the surrounding air. In other words, the evaporator 34 cools the air passing through the interior of the storage box 23, i.e., the air circulated by the circulation fan F1, by evaporating the refrigerant.

The refrigeration circuit 30 and storage box 23 are covered by a cover member 11b. Although not shown in the figure, the cover member 11b has openings (not shown) appropriately formed to allow air to pass through.

The evaporation pan 40 is installed with a portion of it extending inside the storage box 23. This evaporation pan 40 is used to collect drain water, such as condensation water generated in the evaporator 34, which is passed through a gutter (not shown).

An outdoor fan F2 is provided above the evaporator dish 40. The outdoor fan F2 is driven in response to commands from the control means. When driven, the outdoor fan F2 is a blower that draws outside air through an opening formed in the cover member 11b and passes it around the condenser 32. The outdoor fan F2 promotes heat exchange in the condenser 32, and the air heated by the condenser 32 passes near the evaporator dish 40, promoting the evaporation of drain water.

The drain pipe 50 is located inside the canopy 19. The canopy 19 protrudes forward from the upper end of the case body 11, forming the front end portion of the upper part of the case body 11.

The front of the canopy 19 is provided with an operation display unit (not shown), as well as an interior lighting element 60 composed of a light source such as an LED. The interior lighting element 60 illuminates the interior of the storage chamber 12.

The drain pipe 50 extends in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the case body 11, and is arranged so that it gradually slopes downward from the left end to the right end. This drain pipe 50 is connected to the evaporating dish 40 via a drain water supply pipe 41. The drain water supply pipe 41 supplies drain water stored in the evaporating dish 40 to the drain pipe 50. In other words, the drain pipe 50 receives drain water via the drain water supply pipe 41 and flows it toward the right end along its inclined extension.

As shown in FIG. 2, such a drain pipe 50 is connected to the drain pipe 50 of another adjacent showcase 10 that constitutes the showcase system 100. In other words, the drain pipe 50 constitutes a single drainage pipeline 51 together with the other drain pipes 50 in the showcase system 100. The drain pipe 50 of the showcase 10 located on the far right side, i.e., the drain pipe 50 that constitutes the most downstream side of the drainage pipeline 51, has its right end connected to the air conditioning drain pipe 2, which circulates drain water generated by the air conditioning device installed in the store 1. As a result, the drain water flowing through the drain pipe 50 passes through the drainage pipeline 51 and then flows through the air conditioning drain pipe 2 to be discharged.

As shown in Figure 1, the canopy 19 is also formed with an inlet hole 19a and an outlet hole 19b. The inlet hole 19a is formed on the front side of the upper part of the canopy 19. This inlet hole 19a is used to introduce a portion of the air passing through toward the condenser 32 when the outdoor fan F2 is driven.

The outlet hole 19b is located in the upper part of the canopy 19, behind the inlet hole 19a and close to the condenser 32. When the outdoor fan F2 is operating, the outlet hole 19b sends the air that has been introduced through the inlet hole 19a and passed near the drain pipe 50 toward the condenser 32.

In the showcase 10 configured as described above, when the circulation fan F1 and compressor 31 are driven, air drawn in through the intake port 15 passes through the lower air duct 21, the first rear air duct 22, and the storage box 23, in that order, and is cooled by the evaporator 34 inside the storage box 23. The air cooled by the evaporator 34 passes through the second rear air duct 24, the third rear air duct 25, and the upper air duct 26, in that order, and is blown out through the outlet 16. In other words, air circulates between the storage chamber 12 and the air duct 20 by the circulation fan F1, while the compressor 31 cools the air circulated by the circulation fan F1.

In this way, by driving the circulation fan F1 and compressor 31, the drain water generated in the evaporator 34 is collected in the evaporation pan 40 through the gutter.

In the showcase 10, when the outdoor fan F2 is driven, some of the drain water stored in the evaporation dish 40 is evaporated by the air passing around the condenser 32. When the outdoor fan F2 is driven, some of the air passing toward the condenser 32 is introduced into the canopy 19 through the inlet hole 19a, passes around the drain discharge pipe 50, and is then sent out toward the condenser 32 through the outlet hole 19b.

When the drain water stored in the evaporation dish 40 reaches a predetermined amount, some of the drain water is supplied to the drain discharge pipe 50 via the drain water supply pipe 41. The drain water supplied to the drain discharge pipe 50 in this way flows to the right in accordance with the inclined extension of the drain discharge pipe 50, flows through the drain pipe 51, and then flows through the air conditioning drain pipe 2 to be discharged.

As described above, in the showcase 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a drain pipe 50 is arranged in the canopy 19, which is the front end portion of the upper part of the case body 11 above the storage chamber 12, sloping gradually downward from the left end to the right end along the width direction of the case body 11. Drain water is discharged through this drain pipe 50, so that even if a refrigeration circuit 30 is installed in the upper area of the storage chamber 12, drain water can be discharged efficiently while maintaining the volume of the storage chamber 12.

In particular, in a showcase system 100 constructed by arranging such showcases 10 side by side, the drainage pipes 50 provided in adjacent showcases 10 are connected in a manner that allows them to communicate with each other to form a single drainage pipeline 51, and drainage water is discharged through this drainage pipeline 51. As a result, drainage water generated in each showcase 10 can be discharged in a common manner, and installation for discharging the drainage water can also be simplified.

Furthermore, with the above-mentioned showcase 10, some of the air passing toward the condenser 32 is introduced through the inlet hole 19a and passes around the drain pipe 50, and the air that has passed near this drain pipe 50 is sent out toward the condenser 32 through the outlet hole 19b, thereby suppressing the occurrence of condensation in the drain pipe 50.

The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made.

Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the main parts of a modified version of the showcase 10 shown in Figure 1, with some parts shown in cross section. Note that the same components as those in the showcase 10 described above are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

As shown in Figure 3, in this modified version of the showcase 10, an evaporation dish 42 is provided instead of the evaporation dish 40. The evaporation dish 42 is installed with a portion thereof extending inside the storage box 23, and is thermally connected to the condenser 32 by being in contact with it.

This evaporation dish 42 receives and stores drain water, such as condensation water generated in the evaporator 34, through a drain water inlet pipe 43. A drain water supply pipe 44 is also connected to the evaporation dish 42. This drain water supply pipe 44 supplies the drain water stored in the evaporation dish 42 to a drain discharge pipe 50.

Here, the drain water inlet pipe 43 is connected near the bottom of the evaporator pan 42, and the drain water supply pipe 44 is connected near the top opening of the evaporator pan 42. This allows the evaporator pan 42 to temporarily store drain water introduced through the drain water inlet pipe 43, and the heat from the condenser 32 can be used to heat the drain water. In particular, the outdoor fan F2 causes air heated by the condenser 32 to pass near the top opening of the evaporator pan 42, causing the surface of the drain water temporarily stored in the evaporator pan 42 to become particularly heated.

Furthermore, because the drain water supply pipe 44 is connected near the upper opening of the evaporating dish 42, drain water that has been sufficiently heated by the heat of the condenser 32 can be supplied to the drain discharge pipe 50. This prevents condensation from forming in the drain discharge pipe 50.

In the above-described embodiment, the canopy 19 was provided with an inlet hole 19a and an outlet hole 19b, and by driving the outdoor fan F2, a portion of the air passing toward the condenser 32 passed around the drain discharge pipe 50. However, in the present invention, a blower fan may be installed inside the canopy 19 and driven to forcibly introduce a portion of the air passing toward the condenser 32 through the inlet hole 19a and forcibly discharge it to the condenser 32 through the outlet hole 19b. This also helps prevent condensation from forming in the drain discharge pipe 50.

In addition, in the present invention, a transfer member may be provided to transfer heat from the condenser 32 to the drain pipe 50, or a transfer means may be provided to transfer heat generated by the interior lighting member 60 to the drain pipe 50. These measures can also help prevent condensation from forming in the drain pipe 50.

In the above-described embodiment, a portion of the air passing toward the condenser 32 passes around the drain pipe 50. However, in the present invention, the air that passes around the condenser 32 may also be configured to pass around the drain pipe 50. This also makes it possible to suppress condensation in the drain pipe 50.

In the modified example shown in Figure 3 above, drain water is temporarily stored in the evaporation dish 42 and heated using the heat from the condenser 32, but in the present invention, the form is not particularly limited as long as the heat from the condenser can be used to heat the drain water. Also, in the example shown in Figure 3, an inlet hole 19a and an outlet hole 19b are formed in the canopy 19, but in the present invention, inlet holes, etc. do not need to be formed as long as the drain water can be sufficiently heated.

10...Showcase, 11...Case body, 11a...Front opening, 12...Storage chamber, 13...Product storage shelf, 15...Intake port, 16...Outlet, 19...Canopy, 20...Air duct, 21...Lower air duct, 22...First rear air duct, 23...Storage box, 24...Second rear air duct, 25...Third rear air duct, 26...Upper air duct, 30...Refrigeration circuit, 31...Compressor, 32...Condenser, 33...Expansion mechanism, 34...Evaporator, 35...Refrigerant pipe, 40...Evaporation pan, 41...Drain water supply pipe, 50...Drain drain pipe, 51...Drain pipe, 60...Interior lighting component, 100...Showcase system, F1...Circulation fan, F2...Outdoor fan.

Claims (7)

an air circulation means for circulating air between a storage chamber defined inside the case body and an air duct provided inside the case body in a manner communicating with the storage chamber;
a cooling means that is installed in an upper region of the storage chamber in the case body and that cools the air circulated by the air circulation means, and keeps the products stored in the storage chamber in a cooled state,
a drainage pipe disposed at the front end portion of the upper portion of the case body above the storage chamber, inclined gradually downward from one end to the other end along the width direction of the case body, and through which drain water generated by an evaporator constituting the cooling means flows and is discharged ;
an introduction hole formed in a front end portion of an upper portion of the case body, for introducing a portion of air passing through the case body toward a condenser constituting the cooling means;
a delivery hole formed in the front end portion, for delivering the air introduced through the introduction hole and passing near the drain pipe toward the condenser;
A showcase characterized by comprising : The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising a blower fan disposed at the front end portion, forcibly introducing a portion of the air passing toward the condenser through the inlet hole and forcibly sending the air to the condenser through the outlet hole. 2. The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the drain water is heated by utilizing heat from a condenser constituting the cooling means and is then made to flow into the drain pipe. 4. The showcase according to claim 3 , further comprising an evaporation tray for temporarily storing the drain water and thermally connected to the condenser. 3. The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer member for transferring heat from a condenser constituting the cooling means to the drain pipe. An interior lighting member provided at the front end portion and illuminating the storage chamber;
3. The showcase according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission means for transmitting heat generated by the interior lighting member to the drain discharge pipe. A showcase system configured by arranging a plurality of showcases according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in parallel,
A showcase system characterized in that the drain pipe is connected in a manner that it communicates with a drain pipe provided in an adjacent showcase.