JP2012172906A - Heat insulation container with cooling device and vehicle with heat insulation container mounted therein - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat insulation container capable of improving a heat insulation property in the container, cooling or heating an article in the container by providing a cooling device inside the container, detecting a temperature inside the container and managing the temperature, and a delivery vehicle having the heat insulation container therein and cooling or heating the article in the heat insulation container during delivery.SOLUTION: A heat insulation container with a cooling device is comprised of a cold air passage 20, a warm air passage 21, an outer air intake port 22 and inner air exhaust port 23 for a cooling space, and an outer air intake port 24 and inner air exhaust port 25 for a warning space. When the cold air passage 20 is opened, the warm air passage 21 is closed, the outer air intake port 22 and the inner air exhaust port 23 for the cooling space are closed and the outer air intake port 24 and the inner air exhaust port 25 for the warming space are closed, cold air in the cooling space flows from the cold air passage 20 into an article chamber, thereby cooling an article in the article chamber. When the warm air passage 21 is opened, the cold air passage 20 is closed, the outer air intake port 24 and the inner air exhaust port 25 for the warming space are closed, and the outer air intake port 22 and the inner air exhaust port 23 for the cooling space are closed, the article in the article chamber can be warmed.

Description

  The invention of the present application is a heat insulating container with a cooling device suitable for delivering foods, foods, cosmetics, chemicals and other items that require cold preservation (including refrigeration and freezing) or warming (including warming and warming); The present invention relates to an automobile equipped with the heat insulating container.

  In recent years, with the increase in working housewives and the increase in elderly households, the demand for food delivery services is expanding. The food delivery service is a service in which a food sales company delivers foods to consumers, and delivers foods according to consumer orders as needed or periodically.

  Ingredients to be delivered are not limited to those that can be controlled at room temperature, but also include refrigerated and frozen foods. Therefore, they are currently housed and delivered in a cold storage container using a heat insulating material such as polystyrene foam. In addition, they may be delivered in the summer, or may be left in a designated place (for example, in front of the entrance) without being handed over to the customer. Dry ice is packaged in a cold storage container when delivering dry ice for home delivery, and a cold storage agent when delivering refrigerated food ingredients.

  The conventional cold storage container cools the food in the cold storage container (maintains the cooled state) by cooling with dry ice or a cold storage agent and insulating with foamed polystyrene. However, since the cooling capacity of dry ice and cold storage agent also declines with time, the thermal conductivity of expanded polystyrene is about 0.02 to 0.03 w / mk, which is the same as air, and is not so excellent in heat insulation, It has been difficult to keep food ingredients in a conventional cold container for a long time.

  In home delivery of foodstuffs, multiple delivery destinations are visited in one delivery, so it may take longer than planned to deliver depending on traffic conditions. There are cases where the customer is absent even though the delivery is intended to be delivered directly to the customer. In such a case, since the delivery person cannot confirm the temperature state in the cold container, he / she is at a loss whether to leave the food in the designated place or take it home.

  Normally, the courier does not check the inside of the cold storage container during delivery, so if the cold storage container breaks down or forgets to put in dry ice or a cold storage agent, the food may be delivered without being kept cool. is there. At present, the temperature inside the cold storage container cannot be managed, so that it is delivered to the customer without confirming the cold state.

  As a current improvement measure, it is conceivable to change the currently used refrigerated container made of Styrofoam to a refrigerated container made of a material with higher heat insulation. However, now that a large amount of cold storage containers are being used in response to the growing demand for food delivery services, it takes time to change all the existing cold storage containers to containers made of new materials, and it can be handled in a short period of time. However, even if it is changed, the problem that the temperature in the cold storage container cannot be managed cannot be solved.

  As a current improvement measure, it may be possible to increase the dry ice and cold storage agent enclosed in the cold storage container to increase the cold storage duration by increasing the amount of dry ice and cold storage agent. Since the occupied area in the container by them increases, there is a new problem that the amount of food that can be accommodated is reduced, and the problem that the temperature control in the cold storage container cannot be performed still cannot be solved.

  In order to solve the problem that the temperature in the cold storage container cannot be controlled, Patent Document 1 proposes a system for delivering articles using a special cold storage. The cool box used here keeps the article cold, detects the temperature in the box, stores this temperature data, and further has means for transmitting this data, and the transmission data is centrally managed by the management center. The system proposed in Patent Document 1.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-322459

According to Patent Document 1, since a special cold storage container is required, it takes a huge amount of money considering its quantity, and a large amount of existing cold storage containers must be discarded. The problem remains.

  Therefore, instead of the special cold storage container proposed in Patent Document 1, there is also a system in which a small communication device capable of transmitting and receiving a battery, a temperature sensor, a temperature storage element, and a detected temperature (data) is arranged in an existing cold storage container. Conceivable. However, in this case, the battery, the temperature sensor, the storage element, etc. are exposed to low temperatures in the cold container, and as a result of being exposed to dew condensation caused by dry ice or a cold storage agent, the battery deteriorates rapidly, and the temperature sensor, wireless sensor, The temperature storage element and communication device will not operate.

  The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to improve the heat insulation in the container, and to provide a cooling device in the container to cool or warm the articles in the container. To provide a heat insulating container capable of detecting temperature and managing the temperature, and a delivery car in which the heat insulating container is mounted on a delivery car so that items in the heat insulation container can be cooled or heated during delivery. .

  The heat-insulated container with a cooling device according to the present invention has a heat insulation panel on the inner surface of the container main body and the lid, and an equipment room in which the refrigeration equipment can be accommodated in the container main body or in the lid by the main body partition wall and an article room in which the goods can be accommodated The device room is partitioned into a cool air space and a warm air space by a chamber partition wall, a cooling device for the cooling device is provided in the cool air space, and a warm air device for the cooling device is provided in the warm air space, The main body partition wall is provided with a cold air passage communicating with the equipment room and the article room, and a warm air passage communicating with the warm storage room and the article room, and the outside wall of the cold insulation space is introduced with the outside of the cold insulation space and the outside thereof. An outside air introduction port and an inside air exhaust port communicating with the outside of the warming space and the outside thereof are provided on the outer wall of the warming space, the cold air passage, the warm air passage, the outside air introduction port of the cold storage space, and Inside air outlet, outside air inlet and inside air exhaust in the warming space The opening can be opened and closed, the cold air passage is opened and the warm air passage is closed, the outside air introduction port and the inside air discharge port of the cold space are closed, and the outside air introduction port and the inside air discharge port of the warm space are closed. The cold air flows into the article room from the cold air passage and can keep the cold-reserved articles in the article room, opens the warm air passage, closes the cold air passage, closes the outside air inlet and the inside air outlet of the warm space. When the outside air introduction port and the inside air discharge port of the refrigerated space are closed, the warm air in the warmed space flows into the article room from the warm air passage so that the refrigerated article in the article room can be refrigerated. It is.

In the heat insulating container with a cooling device of the present invention, the heat insulating material provided on the inner surface of the container main body or the lid can be a vacuum heat insulating panel or a vacuum heat insulating panel with a sensor. The vacuum heat insulation panel or the vacuum heat insulation panel is any one of a temperature sensor that can sense the temperature in the article room, a humidity sensor that can sense the humidity in the room, an acceleration sensor that can sense the moving distance of the heat insulation container, and a vacuum sensor. A storage element comprising two or more sensors and capable of storing temperature data, vacuum data, etc. detected by the sensors, display means capable of displaying the data, communication equipment capable of communicating the data with an external management unit, and driving thereof A power source (battery: rechargeable battery) or the like can be provided.

  The cooling device for a heat-insulated container with a cooling device of the present invention can be driven by the battery, but the heat-insulated container with a cooling device is referred to as a motorcycle, a self-light vehicle, and other vehicles (these are collectively referred to as “automobile”). ), It is possible to use a car battery or a commercial power source located near the car. Various sensors, data storage elements, data displays, communication devices, and the like described above can be attached to the inner surface of an existing heat insulating material without being incorporated in the vacuum heat insulating panel.

  A vehicle equipped with a heat-insulated container with a cooling device according to the present invention is equipped with the heat-insulated container with a cooling device in an automobile, accommodates cold-reserved goods and warmed goods in an article room of the container body, It can be transported (including delivery and transportation) while being kept cold or refrigerated.

The insulated container of the present invention has the following effects.
(1) Since one heat insulating container can be used by switching between cooling and warming, it can be conveniently used depending on whether the article to be stored is a cooling-requiring article or a warming-requiring article.
(2) Since the cooling device is provided in the container main body or in the lid, the heat insulating container with a small cooling device is obtained.
(3) In the case where the heat insulating material provided inside the container main body and the lid is a vacuum heat insulating panel or a vacuum heat insulating panel with a sensor, the heat insulating container is particularly excellent in heat insulating effect.
(4) When the heat insulating material includes a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a data storage element, a data display, and a data communication device, temperature management and humidity management in the article room are performed based on these data, and Quality control can be performed.
(5) If an acceleration sensor is provided, the movement distance of the heat insulating container can be detected and the vibration state of the article in the moving heat insulating container can be grasped, which is suitable for quality control.
(6) If a vacuum sensor is provided, the vacuum degree of a vacuum heat insulation panel can be managed, the temperature in a heat insulation container can be monitored and managed, and the quality control of the articles | goods in a heat insulation container can also be performed.
(7) If a communication device that can communicate with an external management unit, a storage element that can store detected temperature data, vacuum data, etc., and a display means that can display such data are provided, the data is being moved by the insulated container. In addition, the articles can be delivered while performing timely management of the environment in the article storage chamber and quality control of the articles in the article storage chamber. In addition, environmental management and quality management can be performed by passing the vicinity of the external communication function at the time of unloading from the factory or loading into the destination.
(8) Since the battery is provided in the vacuum heat insulation panel with sensor, the sensor of the vacuum heat insulation panel with sensor can be operated even in the case of a moving heat insulation container in which power cannot be taken out. Can be managed.
(9) Since the battery is provided in the vacuum heat insulation panel, the battery is not easily deteriorated even when used in a high humidity environment or a low temperature environment where condensation occurs, and can be used for a long time.

The vehicle equipped with a heat insulating container with a cooling device of the present invention has the following effects.
(1) Since the insulated container with a cooling device is mounted on an automobile, it is possible to cool the refrigerated article and store the refrigerated article while moving, and transport (deliver) the article in a good refrigerated state or refrigerated state. Can do.
(2) Since automobile batteries can be used as power sources for cooling equipment, various sensors for vacuum insulation with sensors, communication equipment, etc., even if the insulation panel does not include a battery, the operation of these equipments Can be secured.

Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the motor vehicle carrying the heat insulation container of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the state which closed the lid | cover of the heat insulation container provided with the vacuum panel of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows an example of the refrigeration specification of the heat insulation container provided with the vacuum panel of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows an example of the warming specification of the heat insulation container provided with the vacuum panel of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the vacuum insulation panel with a sensor used for the heat insulation container of this invention, (a) is sectional drawing which shows the case where a wireless sensor is embed | buried in a core material, (b) is a wireless sensor of a core material. Sectional view showing the case where it is arranged on the surface, (c) is a sectional view showing the case where the main body of the sensor and the antenna are embedded on the surface of the core material, and the battery is embedded in the core material, (d) is the core part of the antenna portion and the battery. Sectional drawing which shows the case where it arrange | positions on one surface of material and arrange | positions the temperature sensor on the other surface of a core material, (e) arrange | positions an antenna and a battery on one surface, and temperature sensor is arranged on the other surface of a core material Sectional drawing which shows the case where it has arrange | positioned. Sectional drawing which shows the vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor which covered the sheet-like outer covering material on the one side of the core material, and the sheet-like outer covering material on the other surface. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a sensor unit 13. Explanatory drawing of the vacuum detection of the vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor in this invention. (A) is outline | summary explanatory drawing of a structure of the cooling device in this invention, (b) is a schematic diagram of operation | movement description of the cooling device in this invention.

  An example of an embodiment of a heat-insulated container with a cooler (hereinafter referred to as “heat-insulated container”) according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The illustrated container body and lid are examples, and the shape, dimensions, structure, material, lid opening / closing structure, and the like may be other than those illustrated. For example, currently used insulated polystyrene foam containers Or a container made of another material can be used as it is. By effectively utilizing the existing insulated containers that are currently distributed in large quantities, it will be possible to reduce the economic burden, reduce waste, and consider the natural environment.

  Articles, especially foods, that are stored in an insulated container (including transport, transportation, etc.) include refrigerated foods (refrigerated foods) and frozen foods (frozen foods), which are consumed. In the present invention, these are referred to as “articles that need to be kept cold” or simply “cooled articles that need to be kept”. Some foods need or are preferably kept warm until consumed. In the present invention, these are referred to as “requiring refrigerated goods” or “refrigerated articles” for convenience. The cold-insulated article and the warmed article are collectively referred to as “article”.

(Insulated container with cooling equipment)
Although the heat insulation container with a cooling device of the present invention can be used without being mounted on an automobile, it can also be used by being mounted on an automobile as shown in FIG.

  The heat insulating container shown in FIG. 1 is capable of storing a cold-insulated article, a warmed article, and the like, and includes a container body 1 and a lid 2 (FIG. 1) that can be opened and closed thereto. The lid 2 can be locked to the container main body 1 with a stopper 3, and the container main body 1 is sealed (including substantially sealed) at the time of locking.

The container body 1 is divided into an article room 5 (FIG. 1) capable of accommodating articles by a main body partition wall 4 and an equipment room 6 capable of accommodating and arranging a cooling device, and the inside of the equipment room 6 is an equipment room partition wall 7 (FIG. 2). ), The upper part is a cool air space 18 (FIG. 2), the lower part is a warm air space 19 (FIG. 2), and the cooling side device 10 (FIG. 2) of the cooling device is in the cool air space 18. In FIG. 19, a heat side device 11 (FIG. 2) of the cooling device is arranged.

  The main body partition wall 4 has a cool air passage 20 (FIGS. 1 and 2) communicating with the cool air space 18 and the article chamber 5, and a warm air passage 21 (FIG. 1, FIG. 1) communicating with the warm space 19 and the article chamber 5. 2), an outside air inlet 22 and an inside air outlet 23 that communicate with the cold air space 18 and the outside are provided on the outer wall of the device chamber 6 (FIGS. 1 and 2), and the outer wall of the device chamber 6 is provided. In addition, an outside air introduction port 24 and an inside air exhaust port 25 which communicate with the warm air section 9 and the outside are provided (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The cold air passage 20, the hot air passage 21, the outside air inlet 22 and the inside air outlet 23 of the cold space, and the outside air inlet 24 and the inside air outlet 25 of the warm space 19 can be opened and closed by a door D (FIG. 2). The door D can be of various opening / closing operations such as a hinge type and a shutter type.

When the cold air passage 20 is opened, the hot air passage 21 is closed, the outside air inlet 22 and the inside air outlet 23 of the cold space 18 are closed, and the outside air inlet 24 and the inside air outlet 25 of the warm space 19 are opened. The cold air from the cooling side device 10 (FIG. 2) of the cooling device flows into the article chamber 5 from the cold passage 20 to refrigerate the article in the article chamber 5, and opens the warm passage 21 to open the cold passage 20 Is closed, the outside air inlet 24 and the inside air outlet 25 of the warm space 19 are closed and the outside air inlet 22 and the inside air outlet 23 of the cold space 18 are opened, and the hot side equipment 11 of the cooling device (FIG. 2). From the hot air passage 21 into the article chamber 5 so that the articles in the article chamber 5 can be warmed.

  The container body 1 is made of a hard resin, and an existing one or a new one can be used. A heat insulating panel 26 (FIG. 1) is provided on the bottom surface and the peripheral wall of the container body 1, the top surface of the lid 2, and the inner surface of the peripheral surface (hereinafter referred to as “inner wall surface”). As the heat insulation panel 26, an existing heat insulation panel made of styrene foam, a vacuum heat insulation panel, a vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor, or the like can be used. The main body partition wall 4 (FIG. 1) and the equipment room partition wall 7 (FIG. 4) are preferably heat insulating materials. Although the equipment room partition wall 7 is a strong plate material on which the cooling side equipment 10 of the cooling equipment can be installed, a heat insulating material can be provided on both or either of the upper surface and the lower surface.

(Vacuum insulation panel with sensor, vacuum insulation panel)
Various examples of the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor used in the present invention will be described based on the sectional views shown in FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (e) and FIG. The vacuum heat insulation panel in this invention is a vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor shown to Fig.5 (a)-(e) and FIG. 6, and is a panel without sensors.

  5 (a) to 5 (e) and FIG. 6 shows a sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 in which various sensors 13 are arranged on a sheet-like core 8, and the outer periphery thereof is airtight (has gas barrier properties). The core material 8 and the jacket material 9 are covered with the jacket material 9 and the inside of the jacket material 9 is evacuated (substantially vacuum). The sensor 13 includes a temperature sensor that can sense the temperature in the article chamber 5 (FIG. 1) of the container body 1, a humidity sensor that can sense humidity, an acceleration sensor that can sense vibration of the heat insulating container, and the degree of vacuum in the outer skin material 9. Any one or two or more of the vacuum sensors that can detect the above can be used. In addition to the sensor 13, a storage element (data logger) that can store temperature data, vacuum data, and the like detected by the sensor 13, display means that can display the data, and communication of the data with an external management unit Communication equipment, a driving power source (battery: rechargeable battery) for driving them, and the like.

  The vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor 26 is heat-sealed (heat-sealed) after opening the cover material 9 after reducing the pressure in a state where the core material 8 is covered with the cover material 9. For the core 8, for example, a heat insulating sheet made of glass fiber (commonly called glass wool), a sheet using fibers made of other materials (for example, rock wool), or a polyurethane sheet having open cells is used. Can do.

As the material of the core material 8, a so-called porous body having a large number of voids inside is used. For example, fiber materials such as glass wool, ceramic fiber and rock wool, powders such as powdered silica, organic or inorganic foams, etc. Can be used. Styrofoam, FRP, etc. can also be used, but since the heat insulating material can reduce the pressure when it can exhaust a lot of air and can be in a high vacuum state, many voids and holes (hereinafter referred to as “voids”) So-called porous materials having a. Styro homes can also be used as the core material 8, but care must be taken depending on the situation of use because they are easily broken. On the contrary, the glass wool used as the core material 8 has a characteristic that it is difficult to break. The material, shape, size, thickness, etc. of the core material 8 are designed according to the application of the vacuum heat insulating panel 6 with sensor.

When these sheets are used, air is contained in the gaps and bubbles between the fibers, so the air inside the outer skin material 9 is evacuated and the inside of the outer skin material 9 is evacuated while extruding the air with a roller. To make the inside vacuum. At this time, if the core material 8 is damp, it is difficult to maintain the subsequent vacuum state. Therefore, it is desirable to carry out the air discharging operation from the inside of the gap in a dry environment such as sending dry air. The vacuum state here means not only an absolute vacuum state but also a state with a high degree of vacuum, including a state close to an absolute vacuum state of 10 ⁻⁵ Pa or less, 10 ^{−5 to} 200 Pa, preferably 0. A state where the degree of vacuum is about 1 to 100 Pa is also included.

  The more air that can be discharged from the core material 8 is decompressed, and a vacuum insulation panel with a higher degree of vacuum can be obtained. Therefore, the jacket material 9 can be a film, a sheet, or a plate. The jacket material 9 needs to be formed of a material rich in gas barrier properties in order to keep the inside in a vacuum state. Materials with excellent gas barrier properties include metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, and iron, plastics (resins), composites made by laminating metal foil and plastic film, composites obtained by depositing metal on plastics, and metal sheets and resin sheets attached. There are composite materials in which a laminated material such as a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric made of resin fiber or natural fiber and a film or sheet made of a gas barrier resin or metal foil are laminated. The material, thickness, shape, size, composite structure, and the like of the jacket material 9 can be appropriately adopted depending on the purpose of use. The envelope material 9 may be a film, a sheet, or a plate. However, one side of the core material 8 is covered with the film-like envelope material 9 and the opposite side surface is a sheet-like envelope. It can also be coated with the material 9.

As shown in FIG. 6, a plate-like covering material 9a is arranged on one side (the lower surface in FIG. 6) of the core material 8, and the opposite side surface (upper surface in FIG. 6) of the core material 8 is a film-like or sheet-like covering material. It is also possible to cover the core material 8 by covering 9b. In this way, the core material 8 can be coated by combining film, sheet, and plate shapes. In some cases, a plate-shaped covering material 9a as shown in FIG. 6 is arranged on both surfaces of the core material 8, and the outside is further covered with a film-shaped or sheet-shaped covering material 9b, and the covering material 9b The inside can also be evacuated. The material, shape, size, thickness, strength, etc. of the jacket material 9 are also designed in accordance with the application of the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor. The covering material 9 can be made of the same or different material and structure (both having gas barrier properties) to cover the core material 8, and the outer cover material 9 can be covered by double covering. Even if the workpiece 9 is damaged, a vacuum state inside the jacket 9 is ensured.

  The covering material 9 using a metal material such as aluminum has a characteristic of high thermal conductivity, but also has shielding properties (radio wave shielding properties). As will be described later, the temperature sensor placed inside the vacuum thermal insulation panel detects the ambient temperature, and the detected result is communicated to the outside. Aluminum material is suitable for detecting ambient temperature, but aluminum material is not suitable for communication.

  On the other hand, a nylon-based material can be used as the jacket material 9, but the nylon-based material has a characteristic that it has low thermal conductivity and easily transmits radio waves. In other words, in contrast to aluminum materials, nylon-based materials are suitable for communication, but nylon-based materials are not suitable for detecting ambient temperature. In order to take advantage of both characteristics, an aluminum material and a nylon material can be combined to form the jacket material 9. As an example, the range close to the temperature sensor portion of the sensor 13 (covering the temperature sensor portion) uses an aluminum material having high thermal conductivity, and the range close to the antenna portion of the sensor 13 (covering the antenna portion) is radio wave transmissive. It is possible to use a jacket material 9 made of a good nylon material.

  The opening of the jacket material 9 is heat-sealed in a state where the air in the gap of the core material 8 has been discharged, that is, in a state where the inside of the vacuum heat insulation panel is decompressed, thereby maintaining a high vacuum state. it can. Therefore, the cover material 9 is often combined with a heat-weldable material. For example, a combination of a PET material and a metal plate such as aluminum, a film, a sheet, etc., such as using a material obtained by superimposing a PET material on the back surface (or front and back surfaces) of an aluminum foil as an outer cover material 29 ( Bonded or vapor-deposited) can be used. The PET material is welded at about 90 ° C. On the other hand, the sensor 13 is not normally melted up to about 200 ° C., which is preferable for the sensor 13.

  In addition, the core material 8 and the jacket material 9 are not limited to those exemplified here, but materials and materials conventionally used as a vacuum heat insulation panel can be used. If the material and thickness are designed to be bendable, a single vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor can be folded and installed in the container body 1 of FIG.

  A vacuum heat insulation panel and a vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor have excellent heat insulation performance by making the inside a vacuum state (depressurized state). Specifically, the thermal conductivity of the vacuum heat insulation panel is 0.002 to 0.01 w / mk, and compared to 0.02 to 0.03 w / mk of foamed polystyrene and 0.02 w / mk of air, its heat insulation. It can be seen that the performance is remarkable. If the vacuum insulation panel 26 with a sensor which has this outstanding heat insulation performance is utilized, the heat insulation performance of the conventional cold storage container will improve markedly.

  The sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 includes a temperature sensor 35 and a communication unit (transmission / reception unit) that transmits the temperature data detected here in the jacket material 9. The temperature data detected by the temperature sensor 35 is wirelessly transmitted from the communication unit to, for example, an external management center or other equipment, and can be processed by the management center or other equipment to control the temperature from a remote location. The communication can also be performed by wire. In the case of a wireless system, an antenna can be built in or externally attached to the communication unit. In the case of a wired system, other connection devices (connectors) such as connectors that can be electrically connected to external devices are provided outside the jacket material 9, and wired communication is performed with the external devices connected thereto. Can do.

  In the present invention, the temperature data detected by the temperature sensor 35 is stored in a data logger (storage unit) provided on the inner side of the jacket material 9, and the stored data is stored in, for example, an external management center or other places. The temperature state can also be managed by processing. The data logger can record not only temperature data but also data detected by other sensors, such as vacuum data, humidity data, acceleration data, and the like. The humidity sensor detects moisture when the gas barrier property of the jacket material 9 is deteriorated or broken and enters the inside of the jacket material 9 from the outside. The acceleration sensor can sense vibration. By providing this acceleration sensor, for example, while the cold food is housed and transported in the article room 5 (FIG. 1) of the heat insulating container, the vibration state around the cold food can be grasped. And more preferably.

  The vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor 26 is provided with a temperature sensor 35 and a communication unit, or a battery 13c for operating a data logger or a vacuum sensor. A long-life battery such as a lithium battery can be used as the battery 13c. This battery can be rechargeable or non-rechargeable. In the case of the rechargeable type, charging can be performed by providing a power supply connector for charging (for example, an outlet) outside the jacket material 9 and connecting a power source thereto. In recent years, non-contact type charging, for example, a charging method using electromagnetic waves for charging has been studied, and since there is a possibility of practical use, a battery that can be charged in a non-contact type can also be used.

  The sensor unit 13 is a unit obtained by integrating the temperature sensor 35, the communication unit, the battery 13c, and the like. The sensor unit 13 is commercially available and is now widely used. As shown in FIG. 7, the sensor unit 13 is provided with a temperature sensor 35 at the front portion of a film-like substrate 13a, an antenna 13b behind the substrate 13a, and a communication unit 13d at the center of the substrate 13a. A battery 13c is mounted on the back of the central part. The communication unit 13d includes a circuit formed at the center of the substrate 13a and communication elements and components mounted on the circuit. The sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel of the present invention only needs to include at least the temperature sensor 35 and the communication unit 13d, and these may be separate bodies. Hereinafter, for convenience, the case where the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 includes the sensor unit 13 will be described. Further, in recent years, the sensor unit 13 has been reduced in size and has an outer dimension (length) of 2 to 4 mm. Although it is desirable that the sensor unit 13 used in the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor used in the present invention is also small, its size and shape can be arbitrarily designed as long as it can be installed inside the vacuum heat insulating panel.

  Although the sensor unit 13 used for the vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor may be separately prepared as a dedicated one, a commercially available one can also be used. In addition to the temperature sensor that can detect the temperature, some commercially available sensor units 13 include a humidity sensor that can detect humidity and an acceleration sensor that can detect the degree of vibration. Therefore, such a wireless sensor can also be used.

  A lithium battery or the like is frequently used for the battery 13c of the sensor unit 13. Lithium batteries and the like are generally known to easily deteriorate in a low-temperature environment or a high-humidity environment, and the lifetime is extremely shortened. For this reason, the sensor unit 13 is often used in an environment that is a normal temperature environment and does not become highly humid. Therefore, if the sensor unit 13 can be installed in the container main body 1 that transports the cold-reserved food, the environmental temperature of the cold-reserved food can be managed even during the transportation. Therefore, the problem of deterioration (short life) of the battery 13c occurs, and conventionally, the sensor unit 13 has not been installed in the heat insulating container. On the other hand, in the present invention, since the sensor unit 13 is installed inside a vacuum heat insulation panel having high heat insulation performance, the battery 13c can be protected from low temperature and high humidity in the article part 5 (FIG. 1). Therefore, the sensor unit 13 can be provided in the heat insulating container with peace of mind.

  Various methods for installing the sensor unit 13 in the vacuum heat insulation panel 26 can be selected, and examples thereof are shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the sensor unit 13 is embedded in the core material 8. As shown in this figure, the sensor unit 13 can be installed in the embedded recess 40 provided in the core member 8. Alternatively, any one of the three components of the board 13a, the antenna 13b, and the battery 13c can be installed in the embedded recess 40, or two components selected from these three components are installed in the embedded recess 40. You can also. In this case, an embedded recess 40 is provided in the core material 8 in advance, and the sensor unit 13 (or at least one of the three components) is installed on the core material 8, and then the jacket material 9 is put over to reduce the pressure. The vacuum insulation panel with sensor 26 is completed by heat-sealing the opening of the material 9. The void formed in the embedded recess 40 after the sensor unit 13 (or at least one of the three components) is installed is injected with a highly heat-conductive filler before the outer cover material 9 is covered. Or it can be left as a void. When the battery 13c is installed in the embedded recess 40, the battery 13c is disposed at substantially the center of the core member 8, so that it can be reliably protected from the external low temperature and high humidity environment.

  FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the sensor unit 13 is arranged on the surface of the core material 8. As shown in this figure, the sensor unit 13 can be installed between the core material 8 and the jacket material 9. In this case, the sensor unit 13 is attached to the surface of the core material 8 (upper surface in the drawing) in advance, and then the outer cover material 9 is covered and decompressed, and the opening of the outer cover material 9 is heat-sealed, whereby a vacuum with a sensor is provided. The heat insulation panel 26 is completed. Since the substrate 13a and the antenna 13b are covered only with the jacket material 9, this is preferable in terms of temperature detection and communication. Since the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor 26 has the battery 13c near the surface, the surface (the lower surface in the figure) where the battery 13c is not disposed is a low temperature / high humidity environment (specifically, the article of the cold insulation container 1). It is desirable to arrange and use it so as to be on the chamber 5 side.

  FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a case where the substrate 13 a and the antenna 13 b of the sensor unit 13 are embedded in the surface of the core material 8 and the battery 13 c is embedded in the core material 8. In this case, the battery 13 c is embedded in a part of the core material 8 in advance, the substrate 13 a and the antenna 13 b are attached to the surface of the core material 8, and then the outer cover material 9 is covered to reduce the pressure. By heat-sealing the part, the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 is completed. Since the substrate 13a and the antenna 13b are covered only with the jacket material 9, this is preferable in terms of temperature detection and communication. Moreover, since the battery 13c is disposed inside the core member 8, it can be protected from an external low-temperature / high-humidity environment. In addition, in the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor 26 in this figure, the surface where the battery 13c is not disposed (the lower surface in the figure) is in a low temperature / high humidity environment (specifically, on the article storage chamber 5 side of the heat insulating container). It is desirable to arrange and use them.

  FIG. 5D shows a case where the antenna 13b and the battery 13c of the sensor unit 13 are arranged on one surface of the core material 8, and the temperature sensor 35 at the tip of the substrate 13a is arranged on the other surface of the core material 8. FIG. In this case, the antenna part 13b and the battery 13c are installed on one surface (upper surface in the figure) of the core member 8, and the temperature sensor 35 at the tip of the substrate 13a is extended to the other surface (lower surface in the diagram). The sensor cover vacuum heat insulation panel 26 is completed by covering the outer cover material 9 and reducing the pressure and then heat-sealing the opening of the cover material 9. Note that the temperature sensor 35 at the tip of the substrate 13a can pass through a through hole or a through groove provided in the core member 8 and extend to the opposite surface.

  FIG. 5E shows a case where the antenna 13b and the battery 13c of the sensor unit 13 are arranged on one surface of the core member 8, and the temperature sensor 35 at the tip of the substrate 13a is arranged on the other surface of the core member 8. FIG. In this case, the battery 13c is embedded in the vicinity of one surface (upper surface in the drawing) of the core member 8 and the antenna portion 13b is installed, and the temperature sensor 35 at the tip of the substrate 13a is connected to the other surface (in the drawing). The vacuum insulation panel with sensor 26 is completed by placing the outer cover material 9 and then reducing the pressure by covering the outer cover material 9 and heat-sealing the opening of the outer cover material 9. Note that the temperature sensor 35 at the tip of the substrate 13a can pass through a through hole or a through groove provided in the core member 8 and extend to the opposite surface.

  The sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 shown in FIGS. 5D and 5E is preferable in terms of communication because the antenna 13b is covered only with the jacket material 9. Further, since the battery 13c is disposed on the surface (or near the surface) of one core member 8 and the temperature sensor 35 is disposed on the surface of the other core member 8, for example, the vacuum heat-insulating panel 26 with the sensor is connected to the temperature sensor 35. It is preferable to arrange and use a certain surface (the lower surface in the figure) so as to be on the article chamber 5 (FIG. 1) side of the heat insulating container, and it is preferable in terms of temperature detection, and protects the battery 13c from a low temperature / high humidity environment. This is also preferable.

  When temperature detection by the temperature sensor 35 and communication by the antenna 13b are considered, selection of the material of the jacket material 9 used near the temperature sensor 35 and the antenna 13b at the tip of the substrate 13a is important. As described above, metal materials such as aluminum have high thermal conductivity, while they have shielding properties (radio wave shielding), while nylon materials have low thermal conductivity and do not emit radio waves. It has the characteristic of being easily transmissive. Accordingly, in the case of the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 shown in FIGS. 5D and 5E, the surface on which the antenna 13b is disposed (the upper surface in the figure) is made of a radio wave-transmitting nylon material, and the temperature sensor 35. It is desirable that the surface (the lower surface in the figure) on which is disposed be the outer cover material 9 using a metal material having high thermal conductivity.

  In the case of the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor 26 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the entire material is made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity, and the nylon material that is partially radio wave-transmitting only within the range covering the antenna 13b. It can also be set as the jacket material 9 using. Alternatively, the entire material may be a radio wave-transmitting nylon material, and the outer cover material 9 may be made of a metal material partially having high thermal conductivity within a range covering the temperature sensor 35. If the material is partially different (the entire material is made of metal and partly nylon material, or vice versa), a different material part may be provided so as to form a hole or groove including the part. it can.

  In addition to the temperature sensor 35 (or sensor unit 13), the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor can also include a vacuum sensor 14 (FIG. 8). This vacuum sensor 14 can detect the vacuum state inside the jacket material 9, and there are various types such as a Pirani vacuum gauge, a diaphragm vacuum gauge, a capacitance type vacuum sensor, a micro mechanical vacuum sensor, etc. The vacuum sensor can be used. Since the vacuum state means a reduced pressure state, for example, a pressure sensor can be used. In order to accommodate in the core member 8 or the jacket member 9, it is desirable to select a small and thin vacuum sensor 14 if possible.

  In FIG. 8, the vacuum sensor 14 is operated by a power source supplied from the battery, the pressure inside the outer cover material 9 is detected by the vacuum sensor 14, and the detected current (voltage) is amplified by the amplifier A. By comparing the output voltage with the appropriate vacuum state (appropriate pressure in the jacket material 9: reference pressure) Pa required by the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 in the comparator C, the inside of the jacket material 9 is appropriate. It can be determined whether or not the vacuum state is maintained. In FIG. 8, the detected pressure is displayed on the digital meter 15 so that the vacuum state inside the jacket material 9 can be confirmed. When the output of the comparator C is higher than the reference pressure Pa, the electromagnetic valve of the vacuum pump P can be opened by the relay 16 and the inside of the jacket material 9 can be decompressed by the vacuum pump P. The vacuum sensor 14 may be entirely provided in the jacket material 9, but may be partially attached to the exterior of the jacket material 9. In either case, it is attached so that the vacuum state in the jacket material 9 is not impaired. The detection data of the vacuum sensor 14 in FIG. 8 can also be transmitted to the amplifier A via a communication unit provided in the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel.

  The vacuum sensor 14, the temperature sensor 35, the communication unit 13 d, the data logger, and the like can be individually provided inside the core material 8 and the jacket material 9.

(Arrangement of vacuum insulation panel with sensor)
As described above, the vacuum insulating panel 26 with a sensor is disposed on either the peripheral wall or the bottom surface of the container main body 1 or the lid 2 on the heat insulating material 26 installed on the inner wall surface of the container main body 1 (FIG. 1) and the lid 2. For example, vacuum insulation panels without sensors or existing insulation materials can be used on other surfaces.

  When the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 is arranged in the article chamber 5 of the container main body 1, the temperature is detected when the temperature sensor 35 at the tip of the substrate 13a is arranged at a position close to the article chamber 5 (FIG. 1). When the battery 13c is disposed so as to be on the back side of the side wall of the container body 1 when viewed from the article chamber 5 (so that the heat insulating panel 26 is interposed between the article accommodating chamber 5 and the battery 13c), This is preferable in that the battery 13c is protected from a low temperature and high humidity environment. The antenna 13b of the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel 26 can also extend through the through hole or through groove provided in the core member 8 to the opposite surface (the article chamber 5 side). Of course, the antenna 13b may not be extended to the opposite side, and the entire antenna 13b may be disposed on the same surface of the core member 8 as shown in FIGS.

  Some existing thermal insulation containers currently in circulation contain dry ice or the like in a lid. By utilizing such a type of existing heat insulation container, the heat insulation container of the present invention can be created by arranging the vacuum heat insulation panel with sensor 26 and the vacuum heat insulation panel 26. In this case, it is desirable that the sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulation panel provided on the inner surface of the lid 2 is arranged so that the battery 13c is on the article chamber 5 side. Thereby, when there is dry ice or a cold storage agent in the lid 2, the battery 13c of the vacuum heat insulation panel with sensor can be protected from the low temperature and high humidity environment by them.

(Cooling equipment)
An existing cooling device can be used for the cooling device of the present invention. This cooling device operates in the same manner as a cooling device used in an existing refrigerator or air conditioner. An example is shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b). As shown to Fig.9 (a), the evaporator 50, the compressor 60, and the condenser 70 are provided. The evaporator 50 corresponds to the cooling side device 10 (FIG. 2) of the present invention, and the compressor 60 and the condenser 70 correspond to the warm side device 11 (FIG. 2) of the present invention.

In the cooling device of FIG. 9 (a), as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the refrigerant (for example, a chlorofluorocarbon substitute) sent to the aluminum fin (evaporator) 50 in a liquid state from the thermal device 11 is ambient. The heat is absorbed by the evaporator 50 of the cooling side device 10 to evaporate, and the evaporator 50 is cooled by taking the heat of vaporization from the surroundings, and the cold air is cooled by the fan 51 of the cooling side device 10 (FIG. 2). Sent to. The refrigerant that has evaporated into gas is returned to the warm side device 11 and compressed by the compressor 60 of the warm side device 11. The refrigerant that has been compressed to a high temperature is sent to the condenser 70 (aluminum fin) of the hot side device 11, and the hot air of the refrigerant is sent to the hot air space 19 by the fan 61 of the hot side device 11. In this case, when passing through the solenoid valve (the valve for adjusting the pressure of the refrigerant) of the warm side device 11, the refrigerant becomes a liquid and is sent to the evaporator 50 of the cooling side device 10 again. In this circulation, it is continuously cooled. The refrigerant circulates in a pipe pipe (not shown).

Hereinafter, an example in the case of delivering food using the heat insulating container of the present invention will be described.
(1) When an order is received from a consumer, if the designated food is a cold-reserved food, the cold air passage 20 of the container body 1 is opened and the hot air passage 21 is closed as shown in FIG. The outside air inlet 22 and the inside air outlet 23 are closed, and the outside air inlet 24 and the inside air outlet 25 in the warm space 19 are closed. Thereby, the cold air in the cold air space 18 flows into the article chamber 5 from the cold air passage 20 and is set in a state in which the cold insulated article in the article chamber 5 is kept cold.
(2) After being set in the above state, this cold insulated food is put into the article chamber 5 of the container body 1. At this time, if necessary, dry ice is also placed in the article chamber 5 and the lid 2 is closed. If delivered in this state, the cooled food is delivered in the cold state.

(1) When an order is received from a consumer, if the designated food is a warm food, the warm air passage 21 of the container body 1 is opened and the cool air passage 20 is closed as shown in FIG. The outside air inlet 24 and the inside air outlet 25 of 19 are closed, and the outside air inlet 22 and the inside air outlet 23 of the cold space 18 are closed. Thereby, the warm air in the warm space 19 flows into the article chamber 5 from the warm air passage 21 and the warmed article in the article chamber 5 is set in a warmed state.
(2) After setting in the above-described state, the warmed food is put into the article chamber 5 of the container body 1 and the lid 2 is closed. If delivered in this state, the warmed food is delivered in a warmed state.

  When the heat insulating material 26 in FIG. 1 is a vacuum heat insulating panel with a sensor, the temperature sensor detects the temperature in the article chamber 5 during conveyance, and the detected data is transmitted by the communication unit 13d, for example, quality control. Since the detected temperature can be received at a remote place such as a center, the temperature management of the conveyed food can be easily performed.

  In the present invention, a single heat insulating material, a vacuum heat insulating panel, and a sensor-equipped vacuum heat insulating panel are provided inside the container body 1 and the lid 2, but these heat insulating materials, vacuum heat insulating panel, and sensor vacuum insulating panel are provided. Can be installed inside the container body 1 and the lid 2 by folding or folding a single vacuum heat insulating material. If it does in this way, since a clearance gap cannot be made in the butting part of a heat insulating material, a vacuum heat insulation panel, and a vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor, the heat insulation effect will improve. When several vacuum heat insulating materials are used, heat insulation is ensured by covering the butted portions (joining portions) of the vacuum heat insulating materials with other heat insulating materials or vacuum heat insulating materials.

  In the present invention, the heat insulating material, the vacuum heat insulating panel, and the vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor are provided inside the container body 1 and the lid 2, but in the present invention, the container main body 1 and the lid 2 are provided with the heat insulating material and the vacuum heat insulating material. It can also be formed by a panel or a vacuum heat insulating panel with sensor itself. In that case, when the vacuum heat insulation panel and the vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor are provided with rigid plate materials on the outer surface or both inner and outer surfaces, or when the container body 1 and the lid 2 are molded with resin or polystyrene foam, A vacuum heat insulation panel or a vacuum heat insulation panel with a sensor may be embedded (built in). In order to take out an automobile battery or a commercial power source, it is preferable to provide a connector (outlet) that can be connected to the insulated container with a cooling device.

[Embodiment of a vehicle equipped with a heat insulating container with a cooling device]
One example of an embodiment of an automobile (an automobile equipped with a heat insulating container with a cooling device) on which the heat insulating container with a cooling device of the present invention is mounted will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the vehicle equipped with a heat insulating container with a cooling device of the present invention, the heat insulating container is mounted on the loading platform of a motorcycle, a light vehicle, or another vehicle (collectively referred to as “automobile”), and the article room 5 of the heat insulating container needs to be kept cold. Articles and products requiring refrigeration are accommodated, and they can be delivered while being cooled or refrigerated with cold air from the cooling device of the heat insulating container. In this case, it is preferable to provide a battery or a commercial power supply extractor (outlet) in the heat insulating container with a cooling device. The automobile is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and may have other shapes and structures.

  The cold storage container of the present invention can be applied not only for the delivery of foodstuffs but also for the transportation of cosmetics, medicines, or medical (transplant) organisms.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container body 2 Lid 3 Stopper 4 Main body partition wall 5 Article room 6 Equipment room 7 Equipment room partition wall 8 Core material 9 Outer skin material 9a Outer skin material 9b Upper skin material 10 Cooling side equipment 11 Heating side equipment 13 Sensor (Sensor unit 13)
13a Substrate 13b Antenna 13c Battery 13d Communication unit 14 Vacuum sensor 15 Digital meter 16 Relay 18 Cold air space 19 Hot air space 20 Cold air passage 21 Hot air passage 22 Outside air introduction port 23 in the cold air passage Inside air exhaust port 24 in the cold air passage Outside air inlet 25 Inside air outlet 26 in the warm air passage Thermal insulation panel 35 Temperature sensor 40 Buried recess 50 Fin (evaporator)
51 Fan 60 Compressor 70 Condenser A Amplifier B (Existing) Cold container C Comparator D Door P Vacuum pump Pa Reference pressure (reference value)

Claims (6)

A heat insulation panel is internally provided on the inner surface of the container body and the lid, and the inside of the container body or the inside of the lid is partitioned into a device room that can store refrigeration equipment and an article room that can store articles by a body partition wall,
The equipment room is partitioned into a cold air space and a warm air space by a chamber partition wall, a cooling side device of the cooling device is provided in the cold air space, and a hot air side device of the cooling device is provided in the warm air space,
The main body partition wall is provided with a cool air passage communicating with the equipment room and the article room, and a warm air passage communicating with the warm storage room and the article room,
An outside air introduction port and an inside air exhaust port communicating with the cold insulation space and the outside thereof are provided on the outer wall of the cold insulation space, and an outside air introduction port and an inside air exhaust port communicating with the outside of the warm storage space and the outside are provided.
The cold air passage, the hot air passage, the outside air inlet and the inside air outlet of the cold storage space, the outside air inlet and the inside air outlet of the warm space can be opened and closed,
When the cold air passage is opened and the warm air passage is closed, the outside air inlet and the inside air outlet of the cold space are closed and the outside air inlet and the inside air outlet of the warm space are closed, the cold air in the cold space is cooled by the cold air. It can flow into the article room from the passage and can keep the cold-reserved article in the article room, open the warm air passage to close the cold air passage, close the outside air inlet and the inside air outlet of the warm space and close the outside air in the cold space. When the introduction port and the inside air discharge port are closed, the warm air in the warm space flows into the article room from the warm air passage so that the necessary warm article in the article room can be warmed.
A heat insulating container with a cooling device.   The heat insulating container with a cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating material provided on the inner surface of the container main body or the lid is a vacuum heat insulating panel or a vacuum heat insulating panel with a sensor.   The heat insulating container with a cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat insulating material provided on the inner surface of the container main body or the lid is capable of sensing the temperature in the article room, the humidity sensor capable of sensing the humidity in the room, and the heat insulating container. One or more of an acceleration sensor and a vacuum sensor that can sense the movement distance, a storage element that can store temperature data, vacuum data, and the like detected by the sensor, a display means that can display the data, A heat-insulated container with a cooling device, comprising one or more communication devices capable of communicating such data with an external management unit, power sources for driving them (batteries: rechargeable batteries), and the like.   The heat insulation container with a cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cooling device, the sensor of the vacuum heat insulation panel with the sensor, the storage element, the display, and the communication unit are an automobile battery or a commercial power supply extraction tool. An insulated container with a cooling device, characterized in that it is provided.   5. The heat insulating container with a cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor, the vacuum sensor, the storage element, the display, and the communication unit are attached to a heat insulating material provided in the container main body or the lid. A heat insulating container with a cooling device.   A vehicle equipped with a heat insulating container with a cooling device, wherein the heat insulating container with a cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is mounted on an automobile.

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