Prime-mover dynamo plants – Miscellaneous – Drive gearing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-16
2002-01-01
Waks, Joseph (Department: 2834)
Prime-mover dynamo plants
Miscellaneous
Drive gearing
C290S00100C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06335572
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a heat transfer apparatus using a thermoelectric converter.
2. Description of Related Art
One of the conventional examples of heat transfer apparatus using a thermoelectric converter is a bath heating apparatus. As shown in
FIG. 35
, a bathtub main body
1
is connected to a heat exchanger
4
of a bath boiler main body
3
through a circulating water path
2
, and tub water is circulated by a pump
5
, and a thermoelectric converter
6
is used for driving pump
5
.
In this thermoelectric converter
6
, a heat receiving section
7
at high temperature side is disposed closely to the combustion flame of a burner
8
, while a tail end section
9
is provided in contact with a bypass water feed path
10
that is branched off the circulating water path
2
from the pump
5
in order to cool by setting at a low temperature side.
In this construction, when boiling the water in the bathtub main body
1
, by heating the burner
8
, the water is heated by the heat exchanger
4
, and at the same time the heat receiving section
7
of the thermoelectric converter
6
is heated as the high temperature side by the combustion heat of the burner
8
, while the tail end section
9
is cooled as the low temperature side by the branched bypass water feed path
10
, thereby producing a temperature difference, and the thermoelectric converter
6
generates electric power by the Seebeck effect. The generated power is supplied into the pump
5
through a wiring
11
, and drives the pump
5
to circulate the hot water in the bathtub main body
1
.
In such conventional heat transfer apparatus, however, although the pump
5
is driven by the power generated by the thermoelectric converter
6
, the majority of the heat value of the burner
8
directly heats the heat exchanger
4
, and heats the warm water getting into the heat exchanger
4
from the bathtub main body
1
through the circulating water path
2
, and therefore the heat value for heating the thermoelectric converter
6
is a low rate, and the generated power is smaller than the driving electric power of the pump
5
and it cannot be driven, or the circulation flow rate into the heat exchanger
4
through the circulating water path
2
is insufficient. Yet, since the thermoelectric converter
6
heats its heat receiving section
7
disposed closely to the burner
8
at the high temperature side, and cools its tail end section
9
by setting at the low temperature side, due to restrictions in positions, it cannot be fixed directly to the circulating water path
2
, and the tail end section
9
is fixed to the bypass water feed path
10
that is branched off the circulating water path
2
from the pump
5
, and is cooled, so that the construction is complicated.
The present invention solves the above problems of the prior art, and presents a portable type heat transfer apparatus preferably used as being incorporated into a warming suite or similar clothes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the object, the heat transfer apparatus of the invention comprises combustion means, a thermoelectric converter for receiving the heat from this combustion means at the high temperature side, transferring the heat from the low temperature side to a heat exchanger, and generating electric power depending on the temperature difference between the high temperature side and the low temperature side, heat medium forced circulating means driven by the generated power of the thermoelectric converter for transferring the heat medium to the heat exchanger, and heat releasing means for releasing heat by circulating the heat medium exchanged of heat by the heat exchanger.
By heating the combustion means, the thermoelectric converter receives the combustion heat from the combustion means at its high temperature side, which is heated to high temperature. The heat is further transferred from the high temperature side to the low temperature side of the thermoelectric converter, and the heat is transferred to the heat exchanger. Since the low temperature side of the thermoelectric converter is cooled by heat transfer to the heat exchanger, the thermoelectric converter generates electric power depending on the temperature difference between the high temperature side and low temperature side. The heat medium forced circulating means is driven by the generated power of the thermoelectric converter, and the heat medium is transferred to the heat exchanger, and the heat of the combustion means is exchanged with the heat medium. The heat medium circulates in the heat releasing means to release heat, and returns to the heat medium forced circulating means to transfer heat.
That is, while heating the thermoelectric converter by the combustion means, the heat exchanger can be heated through this thermoelectric converter, and as the heat exchanger is heated, the temperature difference between the high temperature side and low temperature side of the thermoelectric converter can be obtained rationally and sufficiently. It hence does not require separate bypass water feed path branched off the circulating water path, and the problem of complicated and large constitution is solved.
Moreover, the heat medium forced circulating means is driven by the generated power of the thermoelectric converter, without using external power source, and as compared with the case of using the battery, it is free from trouble of replacing the batteries, expenses of batteries do not occur and it is economical, and the apparatus is reduced in size and weight and is hence convenient for portable use.
By the generated power of the thermoelectric converter, the heat medium forced circulating means is driven, and the heat of the combustion means is exchanged with the heat medium, and heat is circulated and released by the heat releasing means, so that the warmth may be kept.
In the heat transfer apparatus of the invention, the heat exchanger is preferred to exchange heat between the heat medium and both the heat transmitted through the thermoelectric converter and the heat transmitted directly from the combustion means, as the constitution for receiving heat directly from the combustion means, and therefore if the heat transmitted through the thermoelectric converter is too small, the heat directly transmitted from the combustion means is added, and therefore the heat medium can be heated appropriately, and the combustion means does not elevate the temperature excessively due to insufficient transfer of heat, so that combustion will not be stopped by the safety device. Still more, the constitution is simple because heat is transmitted to the same heat exchanger from two routes.
In the heat transfer apparatus of the invention, the combustion means is provided with combustion emission exhaust port, and preferably the thermoelectric converter and/or heat exchanger is heated by the combustion emission from this combustion emission exhaust port, and in addition to the above effects, the efficiency of the apparatus itself is enhanced because of direct contact with the combustion emission.
The heat transfer apparatus of the invention further comprises a main feed valve for opening and closing supply of fuel of the combustion means, a combustion detection solenoid of which coil is excited by the generated power of the thermoelectric converter so as to attract and hold the movable valve unit by its magnetic force, and a combustion operation mechanism coupling the main feed valve and the movable valve unit of the combustion detection solenoid, and therefore the safety is assured by detecting presence or absence of combustion by the generated power of the thermoelectric converter.
The heat transfer apparatus of the invention also comprises a battery for feeding electric power to the heat medium forced circulating means, a changeover switch for changing over the electric power supply source to the heat medium forced circulating means to the thermoelectric converter or the battery, and a controller for controlling this changeover switch, i
Kikukawa Masaru
Kusaka Takaaki
Nakajima Shin-ichi
Takahashi Yutaka
Uno Hiroshi
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Waks Joseph
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