JPH0350190B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an apparatus for cooling and preserving foods such as vegetables, meat, and fresh fish using cooling water.

(b) Conventional technology A conventional cooling storage device for this type of food is, for example, the Jikosho
No. 53-25897. That is, in the configuration shown here, fresh water cooled to, for example, around 0° C. by a cooling tank is forcibly circulated into a water storage tank, and food is stored in this water storage tank.
The circulating water is constantly filtered by filters and sterilized by ultraviolet lamps, which can be used to cool foods and wash surfaces, or to thaw frozen foods.

This type of equipment is normally used in stores to preserve and wash purchased fresh food, so the cooling water must be discarded and replaced every day after the store closes.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention In the conventional technology described above, in addition to the fact that the circulating water itself contains components such as iron and sulfur, odors are emitted from the food as it is washed and thawed. Cooling tanks and circulation pumps that are made of metal are susceptible to rust due to the generation of small particles and debris, especially if salt is mixed into the water to adjust the osmotic pressure of food. The problem arose in that the corrosion was rapid and the life of the product was short.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention cools the water stored in the water tank 2 while applying a negative voltage to the cathode part. A cooling pipe 8 separated from this cooling pipe, and
An electrode 31 whose lower end is located at the same level as or below the lower part of the cooling pipe and to which a positive voltage is applied serves as an anode part, and a voltage is applied between the cooling pipe 8 and the electrode 31 for cooling. Storage device 1
I will provide a.

(e) Effect The cooling pipe 8 and the electrode 31 are both connected to the water storage tank 2.
When the water 18 is submerged in water 18, a weak direct current flows from the electrode 31 toward the cooling pipe 8 by making the water 18 conductive, and as a result, the electrode 31, which becomes the anode, and the cathode The potential difference (energy difference) between the cooling pipe 8 and the cooling pipe 8 is eliminated. Further, when the water level in the water storage tank 2 falls and both the cooling pipe 8 and the electrode 31 are exposed to the air, direct current will no longer flow from the electrode 31 to the cooling pipe 8, and a drought state can be detected.

(F) Embodiment An embodiment of the cooling storage device 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 2 denotes a water storage tank defined by a heat insulating box opened upward, and inside thereof, a main water tank 4 and a sub-water tank 5 are partitioned on the left and right by a partition plate 3.
There is a net shelf 6 at the bottom to store food in the main water tank 4.
will be installed. A screen 7 as a filter is installed horizontally in the sub-water tank 5 below the upper end of the partition plate 3, and further below the screen 7, a cooling pipe 8 included in the refrigeration cycle of the cooling device 9 is connected to the bottom of the water tank. placed at a distance from Further, a draining table 10 is installed at the opening of the water tank 2 above the sub-water tank 5.
Reference numeral 12 designates a unit box body that houses an electric compressor 13 and a condenser 14 constituting the refrigeration cycle of the cooling device 9, and a sterilizer 15 consisting of an ozone generator, and is placed on the side of the water tank 2 on the side of the sub-water tank 5. The cooling pipe 8 extends from there into the auxiliary water tank 5, and the top surface of the box body 12 is made flat and its height is the same as that of the draining table 10. This allows the top surface of the box 12 to be used as a table. Further, since the draining table 10 is located on the sub-water tank 5, it is very easy to drain the food 17 after cooling, washing, or thawing.

When the food to be stored is meat or fresh fish, the water 18 injected into the water storage tank 2 from the water supply pipe 22 with a valve 23 is mixed with salt to adjust the osmotic pressure. It is said to be a 3.5% saline solution. In the case of vegetables, use fresh water as is. Water 18 is box 1
After being sucked into the main tank 4 through a suction pipe 20 opened at the bottom of the sub tank 5 by a pump 19 installed in the tank 2 and sterilized by the sterilizer 15, the suction is pumped into the main tank 4 through a discharge pipe 21 opened at the bottom of the main tank 4. is discharged. The water level in the main water tank 4 is set to exceed the height of the partition plate 3 in advance, so that the overflowing water 18 is filtered by the screen 7, falls into the sub tank 5 and is stored, and is then returned to the suction pipe 20. It goes through a cycle of being sucked in. During this time, the water level in the water tank 5 is made to be above the cooling pipe 8, thereby cooling the water to, for example, +5°C for vegetables, 0°C for meat, and -2°C for fresh fish. Such foods are cooled by cold water in the main water tank 4, which has the effect of increasing the cooling rate of their core temperatures.
Screen 7 is also used when cleaning food.
Since the dust is filtered by the filter, clogging of the pump 19, etc. does not occur.

The circulating water 18 contains food odors and the screen 7.
Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG.
A conduit 52 branching from 1 is provided, and a normally closed valve 53 is installed in the middle of this conduit 52. That is, when discarding the circulating water 18, the valve 53 is removed with the partition plate 3 removed and the main water tank 4 and the sub water tank 5 communicated with each other.
When the water storage tank 2 is opened, the water 18 in the water tank 2 flows down the suction pipe 20 and the conduit 52 and is discharged from the outlet 54 thereof. Moreover, since the discharge pipe 21 is positioned above the conduits 51, 52, etc. at this time, the water 18 in the discharge pipe 21 also flows backward through the pump 19 and the conduit 51 and is discharged from the discharge port 54, so that each piping The sewage inside can also be effectively drained.

The cooling pipe 8 is made of a copper or nickel alloy having excellent corrosion resistance, and as shown in FIG. 1, a lead wire 30 is connected to one end thereof, and a negative voltage is applied from this lead wire. A first electrode 31 is made of titanium, which has better corrosion resistance than the copper and nickel alloys, and is spaced apart from the cooling pipe 8.
It is arranged so that its lower end is at the same height as the lower part of the cooling pipe 8 or at a position gradually lower than the lower part of the cooling pipe. A positive voltage is applied to this first electrode 31 from a lead wire 32 . 33 is a second electrode disposed above the first electrode 31, made of titanium like the first electrode 31,
A positive voltage is applied from the lead wire 34. The cooling pipe 8, both the first and second electrodes 31, 33
A DC voltage of 10V or less that does not affect the human body is applied to the , and as a result of this application, a weak DC current of, for example, 5 mA is applied to the first and second electrodes 31 and 33 using the water 18 as a conductor. Flows into pipe 8.

When both the cooling pipe 8 and the first electrode 31 are submerged in the water 18 in the water storage tank 2, a weak direct current flows from the first electrode 31 to the cooling pipe 8 using the water 18 as a conductor. flows, and as a result, the first electrode 31 which becomes the anode part
By eliminating the potential difference (energy difference) between the cooling pipe 8 and the cooling pipe 8, which becomes the cathode part, cathodic protection can be performed while avoiding the dissolution reaction of the cooling pipe 8. That is, by applying a negative voltage to the cooling pipe 8 itself and making it function as a cathode, a weak direct current is applied to the cooling pipe 8 through water 18 which serves as a conductor and an electrolyte.
Corrosion of the cooling pipe 8 can be prevented by employing an electrochemical corrosion protection method in which the corrosion battery is caused to flow into the surface of the cooling pipe 8 and the corrosion battery is thereby extinguished. Furthermore, since the first electrode 31 is made of a metal plate that has better corrosion resistance than the cooling pipe 8, the metal ions in the cooling pipe 8 are not electrolyzed during electrolytic protection.

In addition, if the water 18 in the water storage tank 2 gradually escapes due to some reason, for example, a malfunction of the valve 53 and the water level drops, and both the cooling pipe 8 and the first electrode 31 are exposed to the air, the first electrode 31 DC current no longer flows through the cooling pipe 8, and as a result, water shortage can be detected, and measures such as stopping the operation of the pump 19 based on this detection can be taken.

Furthermore, the second electrode 33 is connected to the water tank 2 as water is supplied.
When the water level inside rises and its lower end is submerged, a weak direct current flows through the cooling pipe 8 through the water 18, which serves as a conductor, and as a result, the water supply valve 23 is closed and the water supply is stopped, and the first Like the electrode 31, it serves to protect the cooling pipe 8 from cathodic corrosion.

According to such a configuration, while a negative voltage is applied to the cooling pipe 8 that cools the water 18 stored in the water storage tank 2, the first electrode is separated from the cooling pipe and submerged in the water. By applying a positive voltage to the cooling pipe 31, the cooling pipe 8 itself can be used as a cathode, and as a result, direct current is passed from the first electrode 31 to the cooling pipe 8 through the water 18, which serves as a conductor, and the cooling pipe 8 corrosion prevention can be achieved. Furthermore, by positioning the lower end of the first electrode 31 at the same height as the lower part of the cooling pipe 8 or below the lower part of the cooling pipe 8, the water level in the water tank 2 is lowered and the cooling pipe 8 is exposed to the air. Sometimes, direct current no longer flows from the first electrode 31 to the cooling pipe 8, and as a result, it is possible to detect water shortage in the water tank 2.

(g) Effects of the invention According to the present invention described above, the effects listed below are produced.

By applying a negative voltage to a cooling pipe that cools water stored in a water storage tank, and applying a positive voltage to an electrode separated from the cooling pipe and submerged in the water, the cooling pipe itself becomes a cathode. As a result, it is possible to prevent corrosion of the cooling pipe by passing a direct current from the electrode to the cooling pipe through water, which serves as a conductor.

By positioning the lower end of the electrode at the same height as or below the lower part of the cooling pipe, when the water level in the water tank drops and the cooling pipe is exposed to the air, direct current can be passed from the electrode to the cooling pipe. The flow stops, and as a result,
It is possible to detect water shortage in the water tank.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings all show an embodiment of the cooling storage device of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the main part, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. ,
FIG. 4 is an overall plan view, and FIG. 5 is an overall side view. 2... Water tank, 8... Cooling pipe, 31... Electrode.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A cooling pipe which cools the water stored in the water storage tank and which serves as a cathode section to which a negative voltage is applied, and which is spaced apart from the cooling pipe and has a lower end thereof. A cooling storage device comprising: an electrode located at the same level as or below the cooling pipe, to which a positive voltage is applied and which serves as an anode section; and a voltage is applied between the cooling pipe and the electrode. 2. The cooling storage device according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is made of a metal material that has better corrosion resistance than the cooling pipe.