Refrigeration – With indicator or tester – Condition sensing
Patent
1998-03-26
2000-09-19
Tanner, Harry B.
Refrigeration
With indicator or tester
Condition sensing
62151, 340585, 374104, F25B 4902
Patent
active
061194719
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus for container, and particularly relates to indication of a freezer temperature history.
BACKGROUND ART
Some conventional refrigerating apparatus for container has a temperature storage device as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Gazette No. 4-96033. The temperature storage device amplifies a temperature signal from a temperature sensor for sensing a freezer temperature and then inputs a drive signal to a servomotor for a recording pen through a servo amplifier, thereby driving the recording pen. And, the temperature storage device makes the recording pen indicate and record a freezer temperature history on a recording sheet.
Problems to be Solved
Freezing containers having the above-mentioned refrigerating apparatus for container are transported for a long time by a container ship. The recording sheet is generally replaced, each time persons in charge of transportation alternate.
Thus, if the recording sheet has been replaced, a consignee of goods cannot know in what state the goods have been transported. In other words, the consignee cannot know a freezer temperature history during the transportation. This involves a problem that he cannot evaluate the quality of goods when he receives the goods.
In view of such a point, the present invention has been devised. The first invention is to enable an indication of an operating time during which a specified deviation has been caused with respect to a selected temperature, thereby allowing for the recognition of the whole freezer temperature history.
Another invention is to give an indication of the duration of a fast-cooling operation, thereby allowing for the recognition of a cooling condition history.
Still another invention is to store freezer temperatures at specified time intervals, more particularly to store an average freezer temperature or a peak freezer temperature during a defrosting operation, and to enable an indication of these temperatures, thereby allowing for the recognition of the whole freezer temperature history.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to accomplish the above-described objects, as shown in FIG. 1, the first solution taken by the present invention supposes a refrigerating apparatus for container, which includes a refrigerant circuit (40) including: a compressor (41); a condenser (42); an expansion mechanism (4E); and an evaporator (43) that are connected in this order, and which controls an operation of the refrigerant circuit (40) so as to cool a freezer.
And, cooling operation means (62) for performing a cooling operation such that a freezer temperature is kept at a selected temperature is also provided. Furthermore, accumulating and storing means (65) for storing a deviation temperature if the cooling operation enters a phase where the freezer temperature is higher than the selected temperature by a predetermined deviation or more, and for storing an accumulated time obtained by accumulating time periods during which the cooling operation is performed at the deviation temperature or higher is provided. In addition, accumulation data reading means (66) for reading out the accumulated time and the deviation temperature which are stored by the accumulating and storing means (65) when an instruction signal to indicate an accumulation is input thereto and for making an indicating section (7S) indicate the accumulated time and the deviation temperature thereon is provided.
In accordance with the first solution, during the cooling operation after a fast-cooling operation has been performed, the accumulating and storing means (65) accumulates operating time periods during which the deviation is equal to or larger than the predetermined deviation, and stores the accumulated operating time. For example, if the deviation temperature is set higher than the selected temperature by 1.degree. C., the time periods during which the operation is performed at temperatures exceeding the deviation temperature are accumulated.
Thus, according to the first solu
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patent: 5437163 (1995-08-01), Jurewicz et al.
Horikawa Akira
Takaoka Hisaaki
Tanaka Shigeto
Tanimoto Kenji
Daikin Industries Ltd.
Studebaker Donald R.
Tanner Harry B.
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