Refrigeration Apparatus

This application is a Continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2023/044656, filed on Dec. 13, 2023, which in turn claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-006722, filed on Jan. 19, 2023, the entire disclosure of which Applications are incorporated by reference herein.

The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus.

A refrigeration apparatus that includes a box body having a storage chamber as disclosed in Patent Literature (Hereinafter, referred to as PTL) 1 has been known. Such a refrigeration apparatus includes a first cooling device and a second cooling device for cooling the storage chamber.

PTL 1

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-190917

A refrigeration apparatus having high cooling performance is desired for the above-described refrigeration apparatus.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration apparatus having high cooling performance.

One aspect of a refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first cooling device that detects a temperature of a first area of a storage chamber and cools the first area; a second cooling device that detects a temperature of a second area of the storage chamber and cools the second area; and a controller that controls a cooling operation of the first cooling device and a cooling operation of the second cooling device in a coordinated manner based on a detected temperature of one cooling device of the first cooling device and the second cooling device.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigeration apparatus having high cooling performance.

Hereinafter, a refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The matters described below together with the accompanying drawings are provided for describing an exemplary embodiment and not for indicating a sole embodiment.

Refrigeration apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to.

is a perspective view of refrigeration apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.is a front view of refrigeration apparatusin a state where the door is omitted.is a front view of refrigeration apparatusin a state where left-side coverand right-side coverare omitted from refrigeration apparatusillustrated in.illustrates a configuration of a cooling device.

Refrigeration apparatusis, for example, an ultra-low temperature freezer. An ultra-low temperature freezer refers to a freezer that cools the interior to an ultra-low temperature (e.g., approximately −80° C.). Note that, refrigeration apparatusmay be a pharmaceutical refrigerator, a blood bank refrigerator, or a thermostat.

Note that, in the following descriptions of the structures of refrigeration apparatusand each member constituting refrigeration apparatus, an orthogonal coordinate system (X, Y, Z) illustrated in each drawing is sometimes used. The X direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of refrigeration apparatus. The positive (+) side in the X direction corresponds to the front side of refrigeration apparatus. The negative (−) side in the X direction corresponds to the rear side of refrigeration apparatus.

Furthermore, the Y direction corresponds to the left-right direction and the width direction of refrigeration apparatus. The positive (+) side in the Y direction corresponds to the left side when refrigeration apparatusis viewed from the front thereof. The negative (−) side in the Y direction corresponds to the right side when refrigeration apparatusis viewed from the front thereof. The Z direction corresponds to the upper-lower direction of refrigeration apparatus. The positive (+) side in the Z direction corresponds to the upper side of refrigeration apparatus. The negative (−) side in the Z-direction corresponds to the lower side of refrigeration apparatus.

In the following, the basic configuration of refrigeration apparatuswill be briefly described. Refrigeration apparatusaccording to the present embodiment includes main bodyand machine storage sectionprovided under main body.

Main bodyincludes box bodyand door.

Box bodyis formed of, for example, metal plates and/or synthetic resin plates. Box bodyis composed of a box-shaped member with an open front side. In the central portion of opening portionof box bodyin the left-right direction, pole portionextending in the upper-lower direction is provided. Box bodymay have a dual structure including an inner box and an outer box covering the inner box.

The upper end portion of pole portionis fixed to the front end portion of top plate portion(described later) of box body. The lower end portion of pole portionis fixed to the front end portion of bottom plate portion(described later) of box body.

Box bodyincludes top plate portion, rear plate portion, left plate portion, right plate portion, and bottom plate portion. Box bodyfurther includes storage chamber, which is a space surrounded by top plate portion, rear plate portion, left plate portion, right plate portion, and bottom plate portion.

In the present embodiment, storage chamberis composed of a single space. However, for convenience of description, a space in storage chamberto the left of pole portion(that is, a space of left half portion of storage chamber) is referred to as left-side areaof storage chamber. Left-side areacorresponds to an exemplary first area.

Furthermore, a space in storage chamberto the right of pole portion(that is, a space of right half portion of storage chamber) is referred to as right-side areaof storage chamber. Right-side areacorresponds to an exemplary second area.

Note that a heat insulating material (not shown) is disposed in a space between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of box body.

Dooris a so-called sliding-type door, and is provided in opening portionof storage chamber. Doorcloses storage chamberfrom the front.

Doorincludes left-side doorand right-side door. Left-side doorcorresponds to an exemplary first door. Left-side dooris provided between a first inner rail (not shown) provided on top plate portionand a second inner rail (not shown) provided on bottom plate portion. Left-side doorcan be moved left and right while being guided by the first inner rail and the second inner rail.

Right-side doorcorresponds to an exemplary second door, and is provided between a first outer rail (not shown) provided on top plate portionand a second outer rail (not shown) provided on bottom plate portion. Right-side dooris provided outside (in other words, on the front side of) left-side door. Right-side doorcan be moved left and right while being guided by the first outer rail and the second outer rail.

A state in which left-side dooris positioned on the leftmost side is a closed state of left-side door. In the closed state, left-side doorfaces left-side areaof storage chamberin the front-rear direction. In other words, in the closed state, left-side doorcloses left-side areaof storage chamberfrom the front.

Note that the state in which left-side dooris moved to the right side relative to the position in the closed state is an open state of left-side door. Furthermore, a state in which left-side dooris positioned on the rightmost side is referred to as a fully open state of left-side door.

A state in which right-side dooris positioned on the rightmost side is a closed state of right-side door. In the closed state, right-side doorfaces right-side areaof storage chamberin the front-rear direction. In other words, in the closed state, right-side doorcloses right-side areaof storage chamberfrom the front.

Note that the state in which right-side dooris moved to the left side relative to the position in the closed state is an open state of right-side door. Furthermore, a state in which right-side dooris positioned on the leftmost side is referred to as a fully open state of right-side door.

When left-side dooris in the closed state and right-side dooris in the closed state, dooris in a closed state. On the other hand, when left-side dooror right-side dooris in the open state, dooris in an open state.

Note that the structure of the door is not limited to the above-described structure of door. The door may be, for example, a so-called double door composed of a pair of doors provided to be rotatable.

Machine storage sectionis disposed directly under main body. Some of devices constituting cooling device(see) are disposed in machine storage section. The devices disposed in machine storage sectionare, for example, left-side compressor, left-side pressure reducer, right-side compressor, and right-side pressure reducer, which will be described later. Cooling deviceis configured to be capable of cooling storage chamberto a predetermined temperature or lower (e.g., −80° C. or lower).

As illustrated in, cooling deviceincludes left-side cooling device, right-side cooling device, and controller. Left-side cooling deviceand right-side cooling deviceare cooling devices independent of each other.

Left-side cooling devicecorresponds to an exemplary first cooling device, and cools storage chamber. Specifically, left-side cooling devicecools left-side areaof storage chamber.

Left-side cooling deviceincludes left-side refrigeration circuit, left-side first temperature detector, left-side second temperature detector, and left-side blower.

Left-side refrigeration circuitincludes left-side compressor, left-side condenser, left-side pressure reducer, and left-side evaporator.

Elements constituting left-side refrigeration circuitare connected to each other through a pipe (also referred to as a left pipe or a first pipe). A refrigerant in the pipe circulates, while changing its state, through left-side refrigeration circuitin the direction indicated by arrow Ain, thereby cooling storage chamber.

Left-side compressorcorresponds to an exemplary first compressor, and operates under the control of controller(described later) to move the refrigerant in the pipe. The refrigerant discharged from left-side compressor(also referred to as a first refrigerant) passes through each of the elements constituting left-side refrigeration circuitand returns to left-side compressor. The first refrigerant flows in left-side refrigeration circuitin the direction indicated by arrow As in. Detailed operation of left-side compressorwill be described later.

The configurations of left-side condenserand left-side pressure reducerare the same as the configurations of the condenser and the pressure reducer of the conventionally-known refrigeration apparatus, and thus descriptions thereof are omitted.

Left-side evaporatorcorresponds to an exemplary first cooling unit, and is, for example, a pipe made of copper or aluminum. Left-side evaporatoris provided to rear plate portionof box body. Specifically, left-side evaporatoris provided to the left half portion of rear plate portion.

In other words, left-side evaporatoris provided to rear plate portionat a position facing left-side areaof storage chamberin the front-rear direction.

Left-side evaporatorextends downward from above while meandering in the left-right direction. Left-side evaporatoris covered from the front by left-side coverthat is fixed to the front surface of rear plate portion.

Left-side cooling spaceis present between rear plate portionand left-side coverThe refrigerant evaporates inside left-side evaporator, which causes the air in left-side cooling spacein contact with left-side evaporatorto be cooled.

The air (cool air) cooled in left-side cooling spaceis blown to left-side areaof storage chamberby left-side blowerto be described later. As a result, left-side areaof storage chamberis cooled.

Left-side first temperature detectoris, for example, a temperature sensor such as a thermistor, and is provided at left-side evaporator. Left-side first temperature detectordetects the temperature of left-side evaporator. Left-side first temperature detectortransmits the detected information (detection value) to controllerto be described later.

Such a detection value from left-side first temperature detectoris used for controlling left-side heater(see) to remove frost generated on left-side evaporator(also referred to as defrosting control).

Left-side second temperature detectoris, for example, a temperature sensor such as a thermistor, and is provided in left-side areaof storage chamber. Specifically, left-side second temperature detectoris provided at an upper end portion of left-side cooling space

Left-side second temperature detectordetects the temperature of the cool air blown by left-side blowerto be described later. The cool air blown by left-side bloweris cool air blown from left-side cooling spaceto left-side areaof storage chamberby left-side blower. Left-side second temperature detectortransmits the detected information (detection value) to controllerto be described later.

Such a detection value from left-side second temperature detectoris used for controlling the operation of left-side compressor(also referred to as compressor control).