Refrigerator, Freezer, Storage Container and Cold Storage

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and others, and in particular, purports to achieve a refrigerator, freezer, storage container, and cold storage which preserve the freshness of foods using the vacuum technology.An industrial refrigerator-freezer which has one or a plurality of storages and cooling means for cooling these storages comprise a hermetically sealed containers 11 installed inside the storage to refrigerate foods, exhaust means comprising an exhaust pump 19, exhaust duct 20 and others to individually exhaust air in the hermetically sealed containers 11, and a switching means installed to an operation panel 15 to turn on / off the exhaust means.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a refrigerator, freezer, storage container, and cold storage, and specifically, to a refrigerator, freezer, storage container, and cold storage which preserve the freshness of foods using the vacuum technology.[0003]2. Background Art[0004]Conventional refrigerator-freezers have a primary interest in cooling the inside and it is hard to say that sufficient measures have not always been taken to maintain freshness and quality of foods to be cooled, refrigerated, or frozen. For example, vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuff breathe on their surfaces, and by the breathing, they age and lose freshness, and eventually, wither or wilt. However, when they are stored at low temperature, the breathing rate lowers, for example, when the ambient temperature lowers from 15° C. to 0° C., the breathing rate lowers to ⅓ to ⅕, and the freshness can be maintained for a long time. However, fruit vegetabl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]By this, it is possible to individually exhaust hermetically sealed containers in storages and vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuff can be stored with the freshness preserved more effectively and for a longer time than simple refrigeration or freezing.

[0053]By this, it is possible to avoid danger of humans and living organisms from being confined in the freezer compartment.

Problems solved by technology

Conventional refrigerator-freezers have a primary interest in cooling the inside and it is hard to say that sufficient measures have not always been taken to maintain freshness and quality of foods to be cooled, refrigerated, or frozen.

For example, vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuff breathe on their surfaces, and by the breathing, they age and lose freshness, and eventually, wither or wilt.

However, fruit vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes are okay to be refrigerated as they are but in the case of leaf vegetables such as cabbages and Chinese cabbages, air contained between leaves play a role of heat insulator, causing a problem that it takes about 10 hours to cool the inside when they are refrigerated as they are.

However, if temperature is lowered to below 0° C. and they are rapidly cooled, ice may adhere to the leaf surfaces because of the effect of ambient moisture taken in when a door is opened or closed or the cell fluid inside the leaf cell is frozen, and freshness is conversely lost excessively.

In addition, even in the case of foodstuff such as thinly sliced raw fish (sashimi) and eels broiled without any seasoning, if ice adheres to the surface, the cell liquid inside the cell is frozen, or the foodstuff is oxidized, the surface is discolored and the foodstuff looks bad and lose flavor.

However, it is troublesome and increases cost to subtly adjust temperature for each foodstuff to be stored.

In addition, temperature control alone cannot completely prevent ice accretion to the food surface or freeze of cell liquid.

However, this method has several problems, including those that it is difficult to maintain the stable electric field because of moisture content, dew condensation, ice formation, etc. inside the refrigerator, and high-voltage power supply is required.

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