JP4915183B2 - Storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention, light of various wavelengths, for example, by irradiating the food, to a storage device such as a refrigerator provided with the light irradiation equipment to improve the storage stability of the food product.

  In recent years, sterilization and improvement of food storage stability have been attempted by irradiation with light having various wavelengths. For example, wavelengths including the ultraviolet region have a bactericidal effect and inactivate the growth function of microorganisms adhering to the wall surface of the storage room, thereby causing discoloration and decay odor caused by microorganisms in foods, Has the effect of delaying the occurrence.

  In addition, the light wavelength around 650 nm has an absorption spectrum of pigments used by plants when photosynthesis is performed using pigments on the surface of leaves when preserving vegetables with chlorophyll. It is known that an effect can be obtained.

  However, the most suitable wavelength of light differs depending on the type of vegetable, and it is impossible to irradiate various vegetables with the optimum wavelength with only one type of light source.

  In order to solve this problem, there is a technology to change the wavelength to be irradiated according to the type of vegetables by providing three colors of red, blue and green LEDs, and changing the combination of these emission colors and light intensity. It is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 8 shows the vegetable storage irradiation apparatus described in Patent Document 1.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the refrigerator 101 is provided with a storage chamber 102. The storage chamber 102 is configured in a drawer shape and allows food to be taken in and out.

  An irradiation plate 103 is installed above the storage chamber 102. The irradiation plate 103 is divided into three areas 104a, 104b, and 104c.

  The storage chamber 102 is divided into three areas 102a, 102b, and 102c by a partition plate 105, and these areas 102a, 102b, and 102c correspond to the areas 104a, 104b, and 104c of the irradiation plate 3, respectively. .

On the irradiation plate 103, a plurality of three types of LEDs of red, blue and green are alternately arranged. Light of various wavelengths is irradiated by adjusting the light emission / non-light emission or light intensity of each LED.
JP 2005-65622 A

  However, the conventional vegetable storage irradiation apparatus described in Patent Document 1 can supply light of various wavelengths using LEDs of a plurality of types of wavelengths, but has a function of adjusting the light emission intensity of each LED. is necessary. Such a control device is generally very complicated and lacks practicality.

  In addition, it is necessary to change the wavelength of light every time the food is replaced, and the user is required to have special knowledge about the relationship between the storage stability of the food and the wavelength of light, which is not easy to use. In addition, in many foods, the increase in nutrients due to the wavelength of light, including those for which the principle has not yet been elucidated, is very large and uniform.

The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and can be easily operated as a simpler configuration, does not require special knowledge, and is irradiated with light of various wavelengths that have the effect of improving the storage stability of foods and the like. An object is to provide a storage device that can be used.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the storage device of the present invention can irradiate light of a plurality of wavelengths according to each filter by passing one light source through a plurality of types of filters. It is.

  Therefore, when the object to be irradiated is food, irradiation with light having a wavelength that improves the storage stability of the food can be applied to many foods without complicated settings.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to irradiate a wide variety of light on an object with a single light source and a simple configuration. If the object is a food, it has the effect of improving the storage stability of the food. Light with a wavelength can be irradiated.

  Furthermore, the activity metabolism of animals and plants can be promoted and activated by using the light irradiation object as animals and plants.

The invention according to claim 1 is provided with a single color light source and a plurality of filters that change the wavelength of light emitted from the light source, and the light emitted from the light source passes through the filter and is an object. A light irradiation device for irradiating the light source is disposed on the upper surface of the storage chamber, and the light irradiation device irradiates light having a plurality of wavelengths while changing over time. And a moving unit for controlling the irradiation amount of light by the filter, and the moving unit and the control unit control the irradiation amount of light having a wavelength suitable for the irradiation object. It enhances freshness .

  With such a configuration, light of a plurality of wavelengths can be generated by a single light source, and thus, preservation properties from a plurality of viewpoints such as a photosynthesis effect of vegetables with a wavelength of 400 to 800 nm in addition to a bactericidal effect by ultraviolet light. Effects such as improvement of metabolism or improvement of metabolism for activities can be obtained.

In other words, by irradiating light of various wavelengths that promotes the increase of nutrients in various foods, it is possible to improve the storage stability of various foods or promote and improve the activity metabolism of animals and plants without complicated settings. it can. The storage device includes the light irradiation device.
It can be applied to activation of activity metabolism of bacteria or stored products, and further to maintain quality, and can increase the added value of the storage device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the control means for controlling the light irradiation amount is an area of each of the filters having different ratios. By operating the means at a uniform moving speed, irradiation amounts of light of different wavelengths can be obtained at a predetermined ratio, so that the control of the moving means can be simplified.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the control means for controlling the light irradiation amount is a moving speed by the moving means. It is not necessary to set the area of each filter according to the object, and it is only necessary to control the moving speed when irradiating a filter having a wavelength for obtaining predetermined light. Therefore, versatility is increased.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the control means for controlling the light irradiation amount is the irradiation time by the light source. According to such a configuration, the filter area or Even if the filter moving speed is constant or intermittent operation, it is possible to irradiate light of a wavelength corresponding to the object in an amount suitable for the object by controlling the irradiation time of the light source.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light from the light source is ultraviolet light having a wavelength in the range of 280 to 400 nm.

  By adopting such a configuration, by applying a fluorescent material that converts light of various wavelengths to the filter, it is possible to irradiate light of various wavelengths as well as ultraviolet light.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light from the light source is white light generated by wavelength components of a plurality of lights.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to irradiate light having various wavelengths other than white by passing only the necessary wavelength among the wavelengths included in the white light through the filter.

The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the filters is provided with a diffusivity for diffusing the passing light. Can be irradiated. Therefore, adverse effects caused by irradiation spots can be improved.

The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the filters is provided with a straight traveling property for straightening the passing light, and the wavelength of light irradiated over a wide area. It is useful when irradiating light of a specific wavelength locally.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is the light source according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the light generated by the light source and the filter is used for illumination. It can be used as lighting and can be used for applications.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator provided with the light irradiation device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a refrigerator main body 1 is a heat insulating material formed by injecting a foam heat insulating material into a space formed by an inner box obtained by vacuum molding a resin body such as ABS and an outer box using a metal material such as a pre-coated steel plate. A housing structure with walls.

  The refrigerator main body 1 is divided into a plurality of heat-insulating compartments, and each heat-insulating compartment space is a storage room. Each storage room is, from the top, a refrigeration room 2, a switching room 3, a vegetable room 4, and a lowermost freezing room 5, and the refrigerating room 2 is opened and closed by a rotary door 2a, and the switching room 3, the vegetable room 4, The freezer compartment 5 is configured to be opened and closed by drawer type doors 3a, 4a and 5a.

  The refrigerator compartment 2 is normally set in the range of 1 to 5 ° C. with the temperature not frozen for refrigerated storage as the lower limit, but the user can freely switch the temperature setting depending on the storage items. In addition, in order to preserve wine, root vegetables, etc., the temperature may be set slightly higher, for example, around 10 ° C.

  Further, the storage case 6 provided in the refrigerator compartment 2 is set at a relatively low temperature, for example, in the range of -3 to 1 ° C, in order to improve the freshness of meat fish, processed meat fish food, dairy products and the like. .

  The switching chamber 3 has a configuration in which the temperature setting can be changed according to a user setting, and can be set to a predetermined temperature range from the freezing chamber temperature zone to the partial freezing temperature cooling zone and the refrigeration temperature zone.

  The vegetable room 4 is often set to a temperature range of 2 ° C. to 7 ° C., which is the same as or slightly higher than that of the refrigerator room 2. In the vegetable compartment 4, the freshness of the leafy vegetables can be maintained for a long time as the temperature and humidity become lower.

  The freezer compartment 5 is usually set in the range of −22 to −18 ° C. for frozen storage, but should be set at a low temperature of −30 ° C. or −25 ° C., for example, to improve the frozen storage state. There is also.

  In the first embodiment, irradiation devices 7a, 7b, and 7c are provided on the top surfaces of the refrigerator compartment 2, the switching chamber 3, and the vegetable compartment 4, respectively. The light source of the irradiation devices 7a, 7b and 7c is an ultraviolet LED having a wavelength in the range of 280 to 400 nm, a multi-color LED, or a white LED composed of a combination of phosphors. A plurality of filters for changing the wavelength are provided.

  Next, the configuration of the irradiation devices 7a, 7b, and 7c will be described with reference to FIG. Here, for convenience of the following description, the refrigerator compartment 2, the switching chamber 3, and the vegetable compartment 4 are collectively referred to as the storage compartment 11, and the explanation will proceed.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the storage chamber provided with the irradiation device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 2, an ultraviolet LED light source 12 attached by appropriate means is provided on the top surface of the storage chamber 11. Although the ultraviolet LED light source 12 is composed of a single ultraviolet LED, it may be composed of a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs if a further amount of light is required.

  In the irradiation direction of the ultraviolet LED light source 12, a transparent filter 13 that transmits ultraviolet light as it is, a blue filter 14 that uses a fluorescent material that excites a blue wavelength near 450 nm when irradiated with the ultraviolet light, and the ultraviolet light Red filters 15 using a fluorescent material that excites a red wavelength near 650 nm when irradiated with light are alternately arranged as shown in FIG. By arranging the three types of filters 13, 14, and 15 in this manner, the storage chamber 11 can be irradiated with light of three types of wavelengths.

  Since the three types of wavelength light to be irradiated have straight travel characteristics, each light can be divided and irradiated.

  Furthermore, each filter 13, 14, 15 is accompanied by a polarization function to enhance the light diffusibility into the storage chamber 11, so that the interior of the storage chamber 11 can be evenly irradiated.

  Here, the effect of light of each wavelength on food will be described as an example.

  First, the wavelength in the ultraviolet region inactivates the growth function of microorganisms adhering to the wall surface in the storage chamber 11 and the surface of the stored product. As a result, it is possible to delay discoloration and decay odor caused by microorganisms in food and the occurrence of netting on the surface of stored goods, and the effect of maintaining hygiene inside the storage room 11 can be obtained.

  Also, some mushrooms and fish contain many vitamin D precursors, which are well known as vitamins that are essential for bone and tooth growth. The molecule is excited and converted to vitamin D. Therefore, by irradiating ultraviolet light into the storage room 11, if it is a specific food in the storage room 11, for example, Shirasu dried, the content of vitamin D can be increased compared to before storage.

  In addition, anthocyanins, which are red plant pigments in the body that are abundant in apples, blueberries, strawberries, blue shiso, broccoli, eggplant, purple grapes, etc. Generation is promoted by irradiating ultraviolet light having a wavelength in the range. In addition, anthocyanins are a kind of polyphenols, and in addition to the effects that are good for the eyes, the effects of anti-aging effects such as anti-aging and arteriosclerosis-inhibiting effects have been verified, and substances that are considered to be very good for the body By irradiating with ultraviolet light having such a wavelength, the nutritional value can be increased during storage.

  For example, when the storage room 11 is set to a temperature suitable for preservation of vegetables and vegetables with chlorophyll are preserved, light having a wavelength in the range of 400 nm to 800 nm, which is visible light, is simultaneously irradiated with ultraviolet light. Thus, it becomes possible to irradiate light similar to sunlight.

  The wavelength in the range of 400 nm to 800 nm is an absorption spectrum of a dye used when a plant performs photosynthesis using a dye on the leaf surface, and an effect such as an increase in chlorophyll is obtained. In particular, vegetables with chlorophyll are highly effective when irradiated with a blue wavelength around 450 nm and a red wavelength around 650 nm simultaneously.

  In addition, anthocyanins, which are red plant pigments in the body that are abundant in apples, blueberries, strawberries, blue shiso, broccoli, eggplant, purple grapes, etc., make the temperature in the storage room 11 suitable for the preservation of vegetables. The generation is most promoted by irradiating light having a wavelength near 650 nm which is red light together with ultraviolet light.

  In particular, by irradiating an LED having a blue wavelength near 450 nm, it is possible to suppress the growth of mold, the storage chamber 11 can be kept clean, and the storage stability is improved.

  As described above, various effects of improving the storage stability can be given to the food in the storage chamber 11 by various wavelengths of light.

  In the first embodiment, light of three wavelengths is irradiated by three types (three colors) of filters 13, 14, and 15. However, light of a wavelength that has an effect on food is limited to these three types. However, other wavelengths of light may be used, and a filter for producing light of many wavelengths may be provided.

  Moreover, you may use the white LED light source produced | generated by the wavelength component of several light instead of an ultraviolet LED light source. In this case, it is possible to extract light of various wavelengths from the white LED light source by configuring the filters 13, 14, and 15 with a material that passes a specific wavelength from the irradiation light of the white LED light source.

  3 and 4 are top views showing an example of the arrangement configuration of the filters according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the filters 13, 14, and 15 are arbitrarily arranged, and the interior of the storage chamber 11 is devised so that light of all wavelengths can be irradiated.

  The configuration shown in FIG. 3 is a configuration in which three types of band-shaped filters 13, 14, and 15 are arranged in parallel to form one block, and two of these blocks are arranged in parallel.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, three types of rectangular filters 13, 14, and 15 are arranged in a grid pattern with a predetermined pattern.

  3 and 4 can irradiate the storage chamber 11 with a predetermined wavelength component over a wide range. Further, if necessary, the wavelength components of the filters 13, 14, and 15 may be irradiated over a wider range using a light diffusion type lens or cover (both not shown).

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the respective areas of the filters 13, 14, and 15 may have different sizes, and may be configured to mainly irradiate wavelength components that act particularly greatly on the target food.

  For example, when increasing the vitamin C of vegetables having chlorophyll by light irradiation, the blue wavelength of 400 to 500 nm and the red wavelength of 600 to 700 nm are simultaneously irradiated. In this case, the content of vitamin C is highest when the ratio of the light intensity of the blue wavelength is about 80%, and conversely, the freshness is increased most when the ratio of the light intensity of the red wavelength is about 15%.

  From the characteristics of the blue wavelength and the red wavelength, when considering the balance between the content of vitamin C and the fresh taste, the light intensity ratio (area ratio) of the blue wavelength is considered to be 37 to 70%. In order to realize this optimum ratio, the area ratio of the filters 13, 14, 15 may be adjusted.

  As a means for controlling a specific wavelength according to the object as described above, the light transmittance of each of the filters 13, 14, 15 may be changed, and as a result, the ratio of light irradiation may be adjusted.

  In addition, by using the irradiation devices 7a, 7b, and 7c as illumination, there is no need to provide a dedicated interior lamp in a storage room such as the refrigerator room 2 or the vegetable room 4, and the cost can be reduced.

  As described above, the light irradiation apparatus according to the first embodiment can be applied to many foods with a simple configuration by the single ultraviolet LED light source 12 and the filters 13, 14, and 15 that convert the wavelength of the light source 12. Light of various wavelengths can be obtained, and light irradiation for extracting food characteristics, nutrients and the like can be performed.

  If necessary, a light source can be provided corresponding to each filter. With this configuration, further different light irradiation can be obtained by independent control of each light source.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a side view of the irradiation apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a top view of the irradiation apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  5 and 6, an ultraviolet LED light source 22 and a disk-like or polygonal plate-like filter 23 positioned between the irradiation side of the ultraviolet LED light source 22 and the storage chamber 21 are provided on the upper surface of the storage chamber 21. Is provided. A shaft 24 is provided at the center of the filter 23, and this shaft 24 constitutes a rotating shaft of a pulse motor (hereinafter simply referred to as a motor) 25. The motor 25 is a moving unit that relatively moves between the ultraviolet LED light source 22 and the filter 23. Therefore, the filter 23 is rotated by the motor 25. The motor 25 and the ultraviolet LED light source 22 are controlled by the control device 30 to rotate (continuous rotation, intermittent rotation) or energization for light irradiation.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the filter 23 includes a transparent filter that transmits the ultraviolet light of the ultraviolet LED light source 22 as it is, and a blue filter 27 that uses a fluorescent material that excites a blue wavelength around 450 nm when irradiated with ultraviolet light. And a red filter 28 using a fluorescent material that excites a red wavelength around 650 nm by being irradiated with ultraviolet light, and each filter 26, 27, 28 has a shape that spreads radially around an axis 24, The area is set to a predetermined ratio, and the three types are arranged so as not to be continuous.

  In the second embodiment, two blocks are arranged as shown in FIG. 6 with the above-described three types of filters 26, 27, and 28 as one block.

  The filters 26, 27, and 28 are all diffusive, and are configured so that the inside of the storage chamber 21 can be irradiated uniformly.

  Next, operation | movement of the irradiation apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 7 is a characteristic diagram showing a state of an irradiation wavelength that changes with the rotation of the filter according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  When the ultraviolet LED light source 22 is turned on, the motor 25 operates, and the filter 23 connected to the motor 25 via the shaft 24 rotates. Therefore, the transparent filter 26, the blue filter 27, and the red filter 28 that constitute the filter 23 all pass through the irradiation side of the ultraviolet LED 22 when the filter 23 rotates once.

  For example, the order of passage of the filters 26, 17 and 28 of the respective colors is such that the red LED 28, the blue filter 27, the transparent filter 26a, the red filter 28b, the blue filter 27b, and the transparent filter 26b pass through the irradiation side of the ultraviolet LED 22 in this order. When arranged, as shown in FIG. 7, the wavelength of the irradiated light changes over time. In the second embodiment, the area of one red filter 26 is twice the area of each of the other filters 27 and 28. Therefore, when the rotational speed of the motor 25 is constant, the red wavelength is reduced. The irradiation time is also twice as long as the other irradiation times. The irradiation time can be set similarly for transparent and blue.

  The irradiation time is set by controlling the rotation of the motor 25 while keeping the areas of the filters 26, 27, and 28 constant as described above, and slowing or stopping the rotation speed when the filter of the corresponding wavelength is irradiated. Equally, the same effect can be expected when the irradiation time by the ultraviolet LED 22 is controlled by controlling the length of the stop time.

  The effects of light of each wavelength on food are as described in the first embodiment.

  In addition, it is also known to increase the bactericidal effect by irradiating the wavelength of ultraviolet light and the blue wavelength with blinking at certain intervals. In this Embodiment 2, since the wavelength irradiated with time changes, it is also considered that the same effect as flashing irradiation is acquired. Further, by inserting a light-shielding plate that does not allow any wavelength to pass through a part of the filters 26, 27, and 28, a blinking effect can be intentionally created.

  In the second embodiment, light of three wavelengths is irradiated by three types of filters 26, 27, and 28. However, light of a wavelength that has an effect on food is not limited to these three types, and other wavelengths of light are also used. Light may be used, and a filter for producing light of many wavelengths may be provided.

  Moreover, you may use the white LED light source produced | generated by the wavelength component of several light instead of the ultraviolet LED light source 22. FIG. In this case, light of various wavelengths can be extracted from the white LED light source by configuring each filter 26, 27, 28 with a material that passes a specific wavelength from the irradiation light of the white LED light source.

  Further, by using the irradiation devices 7a, 7b, and 7c shown in FIG. 1 as illumination, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated interior lamp, which leads to cost reduction. In particular, in Embodiment 2, since the irradiation color changes with time, there is also an illumination effect, and the appeal of the refrigerator can be enhanced.

  As described above, in the light irradiation apparatus according to the second embodiment, by rotating the single light source and the filter that converts the wavelength of the light source, various configurations adapted to various and various foods can be achieved with a simple configuration. Irradiation can be performed while changing the wavelength of light over time.

  As described above, the light irradiation apparatus according to the present invention has a long wavelength and a relatively safe ultraviolet LED having a wavelength in the range of 280 nm to 400 nm, which is a relatively safe ultraviolet A region and ultraviolet B region, or a plurality of light wavelength components. The generated white LED is used as a light source, and the wavelength of light emitted from this light source is changed to various wavelengths in the visible region of 400 nm or more. In addition, when targeting foods, it is possible to improve functionality such as increasing vitamin D of foods containing vitamin D precursors such as shirasu dried and improving storage performance of the storage room. It can be done. Therefore, it can be applied to devices intended to enhance the storage performance, and can be used for improving the storage stability of, for example, a showcase, a cooler box, a commercial refrigerator, etc. It can be widely applied to improvement of the above.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator provided with a light irradiation device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Side surface schematic diagram of the storage chamber which provided the irradiation apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention The top view which shows an example of filter arrangement | positioning in Embodiment 1 of this invention The top view which shows an example of filter arrangement | positioning in Embodiment 1 of this invention Side view of irradiation apparatus in embodiment 2 of the present invention Top view of irradiation apparatus in Embodiment 2 of the present invention The characteristic view which shows the state of the irradiation wavelength which changes with rotation of the filter in Embodiment 2 of this invention The perspective view which shows the attachment state of the irradiation apparatus for vegetable preservation of the refrigerator which shows a prior art example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body 2 Refrigeration room 3 Switching room 4 Vegetable room 5 Freezing room 6 Storage case 7a Irradiation device 7b Irradiation device 7c Irradiation device 11 Storage chamber 12 Ultraviolet LED light source 13 Transparent filter 14 Blue filter 15 Red filter 21 Storage chamber 22 Ultraviolet LED light source 23 Filter 24 Shaft 25 Motor 26 Transparent Filter 27 Blue Filter 28 Red Filter 30 Control Device

Claims (9)

A storage chamber having a single color light source and a plurality of filters that change the wavelength of light emitted from the light source, and that irradiates an object with the light emitted from the light source through the filter The light irradiating device irradiates light having a plurality of wavelengths while changing over time, moving means for providing a relative movement relationship between the light source and the filter, and light from the filter. A storage device that controls the amount of light with a wavelength suitable for the object to be irradiated, thereby increasing the freshness of the object to be irradiated . The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the control means for controlling the light irradiation amount is an area of each of the filters having different ratios. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the control means for controlling the amount of light irradiation is a moving speed by the moving means. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the control means for controlling the light irradiation amount is an irradiation time by the light source. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein light from the light source is ultraviolet light having a wavelength in a range of 280 to 400 nm. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein light from the light source is white light generated by wavelength components of a plurality of lights. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein each of the filters has a diffusibility for diffusing passing light. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein each of the filters has a straightness that allows the passing light to go straight. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein illumination is performed by the light generated by the light source and the filter.

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