Cooling and heating apparatus using thermoelectric module

Details Cooling and heating apparatus using thermoelectric module Cooling and heating apparatus using thermoelectric module

2002-06-19

2003-06-10

Esquivel, Denise L. (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Using electrical or magnetic effect

Thermoelectric; e.g., peltier effect

C062S003600, C062S003700, C062S428000, C062S443000, C062S430000, C062S003640

Reexamination Certificate

active

06574967

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-5583, filed Jan. 31, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a cooling and heating apparatus using a thermoelectric module, and more particularly to a cooling and heating apparatus using the thermoelectric module, in which the thermoelectric module, a heat emitting member and a heat conducting block are integrated into a single unit, so that the thermoelectric module can be easily assembled with other component parts while being sealed up, thereby improving the performance and durability of the thermoelectric module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A thermoelectric module is a device that is constructed by combining two dissimilar metals together or joining an n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor together. A thermoelectric module has characteristics that when current is applied thereto, heat absorbing and heat emitting actions occur on opposite surfaces of the two dissimilar metals or n-type and p-type semi-conductors, respectively. As a result, if a heat exchanger is installed in the heat absorbing side of the thermoelectric module, surroundings corresponding to the heat absorbing side of the thermoelectric module can be cooled. In contrast, when a heat exchanger is installed in the heat emitting side of the thermoelectric module, surroundings corresponding to the heat emitting side of the thermoelectric module can be heated.
Cooling technology using a thermoelectric module can prevent environmental disruption by the leakage of refrigerant gas such as Freon gas because surroundings can be cooled without the use of refrigerant gas, which is generally used in a refrigeration cycle, and can eliminate operational noise because a driving device such as a compressor used to compress refrigerant gas is not necessary. Further, the size of the thermoelectric module is relatively small, so that the installation of the thermoelectric module is easy and a product using the thermoelectric module can be of a compact construction.
In general, where a temperature around the heat emitting side of a thermoelectric module is approximately 30° C., the temperature around the heat absorbing side thereof can be maintained at a temperature of approximately 3° C. If the temperature around the heat emitting side of the thermoelectric module is decreased, the temperature around the heat absorbing side thereof can be lowered. Accordingly, if the size of current supplied to the thermoelectric module and the supply time of the current are controlled with the heat absorbing side of the thermoelectric module disposed inside of a storage space and the heat emitting side thereof disposed outside of the storage space, the storage space can be refrigerated or cooled, thereby allowing the thermoelectric module to be used in conjunction with a small-sized refrigerator, a kimchi refrigerator, and a medical thermostat.
However, if the heat emitting side of the thermoelectric module is disposed inside of a storage space and the heat absorbing side thereof is disposed outside of the storage space, the temperature of the storage space can be increased, thereby allowing the thermoelectric module to be used in conjunction with a product such as a heating cabinet or heating apparatus.
FIG. 1
is a longitudinal section of a conventional cooling and heating apparatus using a thermoelectric module. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the conventional cooling and heating apparatus using a thermoelectric module comprises a thermoelectric module
11
and a heat conducting block
12
disposed in a partition wall
3
that separates a cooling space
1
and a heating space
2
from each other, a heat absorbing member
13
disposed in the cooling space
1
to absorb heat from surroundings of the cooling space
1
and cool the surroundings of the cooling space
1
, and a heat emitting member
14
disposed in the heating space
2
to emit heat to surroundings of the heating space
2
and heat the surroundings of the heating space
2
.
A thin aluminum plate
15
is positioned between the thermoelectric module
11
and the heat emitting element
14
to allow the heat emitting member
14
to be assembled to the thermoelectric module
11
. A thermal conductive adhesive adheres opposite surfaces of the aluminum plate
15
to the thermoelectric module
11
and the heating emitting member
14
, respectively.
Further, thermally conductive adhesives
16
are applied between the thermoelectric module
11
and the heat conducting block
12
and between the heat conducting block
12
and the heat absorbing member
13
. The heat absorbing member
13
is fixedly attached to the heat conducting block
12
by a plurality of screws
17
, while the heat emitting member
14
is fixedly attached to the partition wall
3
by a plurality of screws
18
.
A pair of electric wires
19
is connected to an upper end and a lower end of the thermoelectric module
11
to apply current to the thermoelectric module
11
.
However, the conventional cooling and heating apparatus using the thermoelectric module constructed as described above is disadvantageous in that thermally conductive adhesives of thermosetting material are applied between the thermoelectric module and the heat conducting block and between the heat absorbing member and the heat emitting member. Consequently, an excessively long assembly time is required because several heat treatment processes are necessary and the thermally conductive adhesives are applied by hand, and products of uniform quality cannot be manufactured because cooling and heating characteristics vary according to the quantity of the thermally conductive adhesive.
Further, the conventional thermoelectric module is positioned in the partition wall without a sealing means and a considerable temperature difference between opposing surfaces of the thermoelectric module is generated while the thermoelectric module is being operated, thus moisture is condensed from the air around the conventional thermoelectric module The moisture reacts with the conventional thermoelectric module, thus causing a problem that the moisture corrodes the conventional thermoelectric module. Also, moisture infiltrates the thermoelectric module through the pair of electric wires, so corrosion of the conventional thermoelectric module is intensified.
As a result, the performance of the thermoelectric module is decreased and the life span thereof is reduced, thus reducing the reliability of the conventional thermoelectric module.
In addition, the conventional cooling and heating apparatus using the thermoelectric module has a construction in which the thermoelectric module is installed through the partition wall with the thermoelectric module attached to the thin aluminum plate and the heat emitting member is assembled to the aluminum plate by screws, so that integration of the component parts into a single unit is difficult and, accordingly, torques are not uniformly exerted on the screws during the assembly of the components parts, thus causing the cooling and heating performances of the apparatus to be non-uniform.
Furthermore, the thermal resistivity of the conventional cooling and heating apparatus is increased by the above-mentioned structure of the conventional cooling and heating apparatus, so heat generated from the thermoelectric module is not smoothly transferred to the heat emitting member, thus deteriorating the performance of the conventional cooling and heating apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a cooling and heating apparatus a thermoelectric module, which] is manufactured with a thermoelectric module, a heat emitting member and a heat conducting block integrated into a single unit, thereby improving the assemblibility, durability and cooling and heating performances thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling and heating

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