Refrigeration – Using electrical or magnetic effect – Thermoelectric; e.g. – peltier effect
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-29
2002-03-12
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Using electrical or magnetic effect
Thermoelectric; e.g., peltier effect
C062S003600, C417S420000, C417S423100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06354086
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a manifold with a built-in thermoelectric module. Further, the present invention relates to a cooling device having a thermoelectric module and also to the module itself.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, flon gases have been reported as the cause of the worldwide problem of ozonosphere destruction. Therefore, it has been required to develop as soon as possible new cooling devices or apparatuses operating without any flon gas. Among such devices or apparatuses that have been proposed, one that comprises a thermoelectric module is attracting attention in this field of industries.
Those thermoelectric modules are also known as Peltier modules and have each a pair of heat transfer faces or plates such that one of them will be heated, with the other being cooled, as an electric current is fed through them.
An example of the cooling devices using the thermoelectric modules is disclosed in the gazette “WO92/13243” (of International Patent Application No. PCT/AU92/00008).
The prior art shown in this gazette “WO92/13243” proposes a manifold having a thermoelectric module built therein in such a manner that two opposing cavities formed in the manifold is partitioned with said module. One of those cavities is in contact with one of the heat transfer faces that is being heated, wherein a closed circuit comprising a heat exchanger and a pump extends through the one cavity. Likewise, the other cavity in contact with the other transfer face being cooled communicates with another closed circuit also comprising a further heat exchanger and a further pump. Thus, two circulation systems are provided for heat exchanging media that may typically be water. One such system involves the heated face of the thermoelectric module, with the other system involving the cooled face thereof. The heat exchanger included in the latter system will work to cool down any desired foreign object, article or the like.
The prior art, that is the preceding invention shown in the gazette “WO92/13243”, provides a practical cooling technology utilizing the thermoelectric module. However, since this invention merely teaches a basic structure of the cooling devices or apparatuses, some features or drawbacks of said structure have to be improved or resolved if and when it is applied to refrigerators or the like.
For example, those cooling devices of the thermoelectric module type are of a cooling efficiency lower than those of the known and conventional flon gas type.
In order to achieve a higher efficiency, the structure which the gazette “WO92/13243” has taught must be improved in respect of the structure of said module's heat transfer faces and the heat exchanging media kept in contact therewith.
Another gazette “WO95/31688” (of International Patent Application No. PCT/AU95/00271) discloses a further previous invention comprising a means for raising efficiency of heat exchange between the thermoelectric module and the heat exchanging media. This invention teaches agitators that are disposed in cavities formed in a manifold so as to increase effective contact areas of said media with the module.
It is however to be noted that any practical means for driving the agitators within the cavities is not proposed in the gazette “WO95/31688”. Although the agitators installed in the cavities may be somewhat useful in resolving the problem discussed above, any suggestion on how to rotate the agitators is not given therein.
Those agitators in “WO95/31688” which will rotate anyhow to increase the effective contact areas of the module with the heat exchanging media is likely to produce bubbles in or bring bubbles into the cavities, undesirably resulting in less effective contact of said module with said media.
The thermoelectric module in “WO95/31688” is rendered round or circular in shape for the purpose of smooth rotation of the agitators within the manifold's cavities.
An example of such module employed in “WO95/31688” is of a structure or shape as shown herein in
FIGS. 20 and 21
.
FIG. 20
is a front elevation of the round thermoelectric module used in “WO95/31688”, and
FIG. 21
is a cross section of this module.
In
FIGS. 20 and 21
, the reference numeral
200
denotes a Peltier element, and the further numerals
202
and
203
respectively denote electrodes and aluminum plates. As seen in these figures, the prior art round module consists of the Peltier element
200
and the electrodes
202
arranged generally to form a circular configuration, wherein those element is sandwiched between discs together with the electrodes.
The known structure disclosed in “WO95/31688” may possibly render it possible to make a circular thermoelectric module. However, it is not easy to commercially manufacture modules of such a conventional structure. More specifically, it is difficult to position the Peltier element
200
and those electrodes
202
within a generally round contour that these members have to assume as a whole.
It also is difficult to stack several Peltier elements one on another in a laminating fashion according to the prior art structure, even if such a composition might produce much lower temperatures.
In addition, the prior art cooling apparatus of the described thermoelectric module type has required certain pumps to circulate the heat exchanging media.
It is known in the art to employ a certain transmission of magnet type in order to drive the pumps for circulating the heat exchanging media (see “WO94/18516”).
The present invention, that was made in view of the problems inherent in the described prior art, does hereby propose a quite novel manifold whose built-in thermoelectric module can be kept well in an excellent contact with heat exchanging media so as to afford an improved efficiency of heat exchange.
Further, the present invention provides a newly developed circular thermoelectric module that is not only easy to manufacture but also is suited for laminated composition.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention made to diminish the drawbacks in the prior art provides a manifold comprising a built-in thermoelectric module that has at least two heat transfer faces such that one of the faces is heated and the other face is cooled when an electric current is applied to the module, a manifold body covering at least one of the heat transfer faces and defining a cavity between the one face and the body, a medium inlet through which a heat exchanging medium flows into the cavity, and a medium outlet through which the medium flows out of said cavity, wherein the heat transfer faces of the thermoelectric module stands upright and the medium outlet is disposed in an upper region of the cavity.
Thus, the manifold of the present invention has the inlet and outlet formed for the heat exchanging medium to flow into and out of the cavity, with the thermoelectric module being disposed vertically and with the outlet being located in an upper region of said cavity. By virtue of this feature, any bubbles that might be entrained into the cavity will rise along the upright heat transfer faces. Those bubbles or air will then be discharged quickly through the outlet at the top of the cavity. Such a smooth discharge of bubbles contributes to better contact of the medium with the module's faces, thereby affording a higher efficiency of heat exchange.
Preferably, the medium outlet may be slanted somewhat.
Such an oblique outlet which the manifold comprises will assist the bubbles to smoothly move away from the manifold.
Also preferably, agitators are disposed rotatably in the cavity.
From another aspect, the present invention made to resolve the drawbacks in the prior art provides a manifold comprising a built-in thermoelectric module that has at least two heat transfer faces such that one of the faces is heated and the other face is cooled when an electric current is applied to the module, a manifold body covering at least one of the heat transfer faces and defining a cavity between the one face and the body, a (first) agitator disposed in the at least one cavi
Fujimoto Masatsugu
Inamori Shohei
Inoue Hisayoshi
Kido Osao
Uetsuji Toshio
Doerrler William
Matsushita Refrigeration Company
Shulman Mark
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
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