IP Library Granted Patent US 12,416,441
Granted Patent B2
US 12,416,441 · App. 18/365,733 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Cold storage

Inventors: Mitsuyuki Shirata (Ehime, JP); Naoki Yanagihara (Gunma, JP)
Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
F25D21/08F25B13/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,416,441
App. No.
18/365,733
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cold storage includes a box including a cold storage chamber, a sliding door that opens and closes the cold storage chamber, and a machine chamber; a compressor disposed in the machine chamber and constituting a refrigeration circuit that cools the inside of the cold storage chamber; a fan that generates an airflow passing around the compressor and blown to the sliding door through an air outlet opened to the machine chamber; a heater disposed in the cold storage chamber; and a control apparatus that operates the heater when a condition of a set temperature for the cold storage chamber being equal to or lower than a specified temperature and a condition of the compressor being in an operating state are satisfied.

Claims (23)

1. A cold storage comprising:

a box including a cold storage chamber, a sliding door that opens and closes the cold storage chamber, and a machine chamber;

a compressor disposed in the machine chamber and constituting a refrigeration circuit that cools an inside of the cold storage chamber;

a fan that generates an airflow passing around the compressor and blown to the sliding door through an air outlet opened to the machine chamber;

a heater disposed in the cold storage chamber;

a sensor that detects a temperature in the cold storage chamber;

one or more memories; and

at least one processor each coupled to at least one of the one or more memories and configured to operate the heater when a condition of a set temperature for the cold storage chamber being equal to or lower than a specified temperature, a condition of the compressor being in an operating state, and a temperature detected by the sensor being equal to or lower than a temperature resulting from adding a specified positive value to the set temperature are satisfied.

2. The cold storage according to claim 1 , wherein:

the sliding door includes a first sliding door that opens and closes the cold storage chamber, and a second sliding door that opens and closes the cold storage chamber at a position between the cold storage chamber and the first sliding door, and

the compressor is disposed at a position nearer to the second sliding door in a state of closing the cold storage chamber than the first sliding door in a state of closing the cold storage chamber.

3. The cold storage according to claim 2 , further comprising a drain pan that receives water generated due to a defrost operation,

wherein the heater is a drain pan heater that heats the drain pan.

4. The cold storage according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a second fan; and

an evaporator,

wherein the second fan generates a second airflow sequentially passing through the evaporator, the drain pan, and the drain pan heater.

5. The cold storage according to claim 4 , wherein:

the cold storage chamber is partitioned by a sidewall into a storage region and a cooling region,

the storage region has an opening,

the second fan, the evaporator, the drain pan, and the drain pan heater are located inside the cooling region, and

the second airflow further sequentially passing through the opening and the cooling region.

6. The cold storage according to claim 5 , wherein the cooling region is located above the machine chamber.

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 064499/0186 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-043838 · Mar 17, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022004485 · Feb 4, 2022
Related Publication 20240019192A1 · Jan 18, 2024
References Cited (17)
US 4977754A · Upton · 1990 [cited by examiner]
US 6550261B1 · Shima · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 20110214444A1 · Yoshii · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20220170687A1 · Tsukui et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
AU 4743299A1 · 2000 [cited by applicant]
JP 02277411A · 1990 [cited by applicant]
JP 2000088438A · 2000 [cited by applicant]
JP 2001174119A · 2001 [cited by applicant]
JP 3190793B2 · 2001 [cited by applicant]
JP 2001245759A · 2001 [cited by applicant]
JP 2001174119 · 2001 [cited by examiner]
JP 2005164199A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017020745A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2021039446A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
European Office Action dated Jan. 13, 2025 issued in the corresponding European Patent Application No. 22770930.0. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report dated Apr. 30, 2024 from corresponding EP Application No. 22770930.0, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report dated Mar. 8, 2022 issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2022/004485, with English translation. [cited by applicant]