IP Library Granted Patent US 12,379,149
Granted Patent B2
US 12,379,149 · App. 18/365,752 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Cold storage

Inventors: Mitsuyuki Shirata (Ehime, JP); Naoki Yanagihara (Gunma, JP)
Assignee: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
F25D21/006F25B49/022F25D29/00F25B2600/02F25D2600/04F25D2700/12F25D2700/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,379,149
App. No.
18/365,752
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cold storage includes a box with a cold storage chamber, a compressor constituting a refrigeration circuit that cools the inside of the cold storage chamber, a defrost heater that heats an evaporator constituting the refrigeration circuit, and a control apparatus that controls the compressor and the defrost heater. The control apparatus operates the defrost heater when the compressor is not operated. When an outside air temperature is equal to or higher than a chamber temperature in the cold storage chamber, the control apparatus operates the compressor upon the chamber temperature rising up to a first threshold and stops the compressor upon the chamber temperature dropping down to a second threshold lower than the first threshold. When the outside air temperature is lower than the chamber temperature, the control apparatus does not operate the compressor even when the chamber temperature rises up to the first threshold.

Claims (14)

1. A cold storage comprising:

a box having a cold storage chamber;

a compressor constituting a refrigeration circuit that cools an inside of the cold storage chamber;

a defrost heater that heats an evaporator constituting the refrigeration circuit; and

a control apparatus that controls the compressor and the defrost heater,

wherein the control apparatus operates the defrost heater when the compressor is not operated,

when an outside air temperature is equal to or higher than a chamber temperature in the cold storage chamber, the control apparatus operates the compressor upon the chamber temperature rising up to a first threshold and stops the compressor upon the chamber temperature dropping down to a second threshold lower than the first threshold, and

when the outside air temperature is lower than the chamber temperature, the control apparatus does not operate the compressor until the chamber temperature rises up to a third threshold higher than the first threshold, and the control apparatus operates the compressor when the chamber temperature reaches the third threshold.

2. The cold storage according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the outside air temperature is lower than the chamber temperature, the control apparatus operates the defrost heater upon the chamber temperature dropping down to the second threshold.

3. The cold storage according to claim 2 ,

wherein, when the outside air temperature is lower than a set temperature for the cold storage chamber, the defrost heater generates an amount of heat enough to raise the chamber temperature up to the set temperature.

4. The cold storage according to claim 2 ,

wherein the control apparatus stops the defrost heater such that the chamber temperature becomes lower than the third threshold.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069618/0382 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2023
From: SHIRATA, MITSUYUKI; YANAGIHARA, NAOKI
To: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064499/0410 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-044986 · Mar 18, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022004488 · Feb 4, 2022
Related Publication 20230384018A1 · Nov 30, 2023
References Cited (5)
US 20050235669A1 · Cho · 2005 [cited by examiner]
JP 2014035146A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
KR 20050049237A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report dated Apr. 30, 2024 from corresponding EP Application No. 22770931.8, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report dated Mar. 8, 2022 issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2022/004488, with English translation. [cited by applicant]