Heating Medium Temperature Control Device Using Thermoelectric Element

The present disclosure relates to a heating medium temperature control device using a thermoelectric element to control the temperature and circulation of a heat medium. In particular, a heating medium temperature control device is detachably connected to a temperature regulating apparatus that is a temperature control target and controls the temperature of a circulating heating medium to control the state of the temperature regulating apparatus in response to desired conditions of a user.

In general, a hot water mat includes a mat with a flow pipe for hot water to flow, a boiler for producing hot water, and a circulation line connecting the boiler and the mat and provides heating by circulating heated water. However, the hot water mat provides only hot water, and thus it is difficult to use in hot summer seasons other than winter or when the user wants cold air.

To solve such a problem, a cold and hot water temperature control device that selectively supplies hot water and cold water to a mat to provide a cooling function as well as a heating function is disclosed. As disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2401138, a thermoelectric element having a heating surface and a cooling surface is used in a cold and hot water temperature control device to selectively supply cold water and hot water.

Recently, research and development has been actively conducted in order to improve the thermal efficiency of cold and hot water temperature control devices using thermoelectric elements. For example, in controlling the temperature of circulating water using a thermoelectric element, research and development is being actively conducted on a structure for improving the heat transfer efficiency between the thermoelectric element and a heating medium and/or effectively dissipate the heat generated from the thermoelectric element.

In view of the above, the present disclosure provides a heating medium temperature control device that includes an auxiliary heat dissipation part for assisting a heat dissipation function of a main heat dissipation part to improve heat dissipation efficiency.

Further, the present disclosure provides a heating medium temperature control device that includes a heating medium block structure that can effectively induce heat exchange between a circulating heating medium and a thermoelectric element to improve heat exchange efficiency.

The technical objects to be achieved by the present disclosure are not limited to the technical objects mentioned above, and other technical objects that are not mentioned will be clear to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the disclosure below.

The present disclosure relates to a heating medium temperature control device that is connected to a temperature regulating apparatus provided with a tube and controls a temperature of a heating medium circulating through the tube. The heating medium temperature control device may include a main tank, a heat exchange part, a heating medium circulation part, and an auxiliary heat dissipation part. The main tank may accommodate the heating medium and supply the heating medium to the temperature regulating apparatus. The heat exchange part may include a thermoelectric element, a heating medium block disposed on one side of the thermoelectric element and provided with a first flow path through which the heating medium returned from the temperature regulating apparatus is transferred to the main tank, and a main heat dissipation part disposed on an other side of the thermoelectric element. The heating medium circulation part may include an inflow line connecting the heating medium block and the temperature regulating apparatus, and a discharge line connecting the main tank and the temperature regulating apparatus. The auxiliary heat dissipation part may be connected to the main heat dissipation part. The main heat dissipation part may include a main heat dissipation block, and a heat dissipation flow pipe inserted into and penetrating the main heat dissipation block and including a second flow path of an auxiliary heating medium, the heat dissipation flow pipe having a heat dissipation inlet and a heat dissipation outlet each formed at one end and the other end of the heat dissipation flow pipe. The auxiliary heat dissipation part may include an auxiliary thermoelectric element, an auxiliary heating medium block disposed on one side of the auxiliary thermoelectric element and including a third flow path of the auxiliary heating medium, the auxiliary heating medium block having an auxiliary block inlet and an auxiliary block outlet each formed at one end and the other end of the auxiliary heating medium block, and an auxiliary heating medium circulation part having an auxiliary inflow line connecting the heat dissipation outlet and the auxiliary block inlet and an auxiliary discharge line connecting the heat dissipation inlet and the auxiliary block outlet.

The one side of the auxiliary thermoelectric element may be fixed and operates as a cooling surface for performing a cooling action.

The auxiliary heat dissipation part may further include an auxiliary circulation pump for inducing circulation of the auxiliary heating medium.

The main heat dissipation block may be provided as a plurality of main heat dissipation blocks. The heat dissipation flow pipe may extend to continuously penetrate the plurality of main heat dissipation blocks a plurality of times.

The heating medium temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a sensor configured to sense the temperature of the heating medium at a preset location at a preset period or in real time, and a controller configured to selectively operate the auxiliary heat dissipation part according to preset conditions based on information obtained from the sensor.

The preset conditions may include a condition in which the auxiliary thermoelectric element is operated in a temperature change stage in which a first temperature is changed to a second temperature which is a target set temperature, and the auxiliary thermoelectric element is not operated in a temperature maintaining stage in which the second temperature is maintained or a preset temperature range corresponding to the second temperature is maintained. The auxiliary heat dissipation part may further include an auxiliary heat dissipation block disposed on another side of the auxiliary thermoelectric element, and an auxiliary heat dissipation fan for discharging heat-exchanged air to the outside.

The heating medium block may include a first body having one side in contact with the thermoelectric element and another side on which partition walls forming the first flow path are formed, and a second body fixed to the first body while covering the first body. At least one of the partition walls may include protrusions protruding downward.

The protrusions may be formed to be tilted at a predetermined angle depending on a flow direction of the heating medium.

The heating medium temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a connector connected to the inflow line and the discharge line. The connector may include a discharge passage and an inflow passage divided by a barrier, a first mesh case disposed within the discharge passage and having a plurality of open holes, and a second mesh case disposed within the inflow passage and having a plurality of open holes, and functional balls accommodated in the first mesh case and the second mesh case. The discharge passage may be connected to the discharge line. The inflow passage may be connected to the inflow line.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to significantly improve heat dissipation efficiency by providing the auxiliary heat dissipation part to assist the heat dissipation function of the main heat dissipation part and reduce power consumption while improving the heat dissipation efficiency by operating the auxiliary heat dissipation part independently and/or selectively from the main heat dissipation part according to preset conditions.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve heat exchange efficiency by providing the heating medium block structure including a flow path to effectively induce heat exchange between the circulating heating medium and the thermoelectric element.

The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

In describing embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure, if a detailed description of known techniques associated with the present disclosure would unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are provided for easy understanding of embodiments of the disclosure and do not limit technical spirits of the disclosure, and the embodiments should be construed as including all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the embodiments.

While terms, such as “first”, “second”, etc., may be used to describe various components, such components must not be limited by the above terms. The above terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

When an element is “coupled” or “connected” to another element, it should be understood that a third element may be present between the two elements although the element may be directly coupled or connected to the other element. When an element is “directly coupled” or “directly connected” to another element, it should be understood that no element is present between the two elements.

The singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In addition, in the specification, it will be further understood that the terms “comprise” and “include” specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations.

In describing embodiments of the present disclosure, terms meaning directions such as up and down, forward and backward, left and right are only used to present relative standards for describing embodiments of the present disclosure, are not intended to specify any direction or location on an absolute basis, and may vary relatively depending on the location of a target object, the location of an observer, a viewing direction, etc.

is a perspective view illustrating a heating medium temperature control device using a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating the configuration and operating state of the heating medium temperature control device using a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.is a perspective view schematically illustrating the interior of the heating medium temperature control device using a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a heating medium block and a main tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toto, a heating medium temperature control deviceusing a thermoelectric element (hereinafter referred to as heating medium temperature control device) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be a device that is detachably connected to a temperature regulating apparatusthat is a temperature control target and adjusts the temperature of a circulating heating medium to control the temperature and humidity of the temperature regulating apparatusand the surrounding environment in response to desired conditions of a user. The temperature regulating apparatusmay be a cold and hot mat (or mattress pad) including a flow pipe (or tube)through which a heating medium flows, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The heating medium may preferably be water, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The heating medium temperature control deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a housingthat determines the external shape of the device. The housingmay have a hexahedral shape as shown, but is not limited thereto. The housingmay have various external shapes capable of accommodating components that will be described later. The housingmay include a first housing and a second housing that can be assembled and separated according to the user's intention to ensure convenience of assembly.

A user input partmay be formed on one surface, preferably the upper surface, of the housing. The user input partmay generate key input data input by a user to control the operation of the heating medium temperature control device. To this end, the user input partmay include at least one of a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad, and a touch screen in which a touch pad and a display panel are combined, or a combination thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A connectorfor connecting the heating medium temperature control deviceand the temperature regulating apparatusmay be detachably coupled to one side of the housing.

The heating medium temperature control deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main tank, a heat exchange part, a heating medium circulation part, a circulation pump, and a controller. The main tank, the heat exchange part, the heating medium circulation part, the circulation pump, and the controllermay be accommodated inside the housing. The main tank, the heat exchange part, and the heating medium circulation partmay be interconnected with the flow pipe (or tube)of the temperature regulating apparatusto form a flow path for the heating medium.

The main tankmay accommodate a heating medium flowing in from the outside and a circulating heating medium. The main tankmay include an inlet that is open to the outside, and the inlet may be open and closed through at least one stopper. Preferably, the inlet may be provided to be exposed to the outside of the housing, and the stoppermay be detachably fastened to the inlet from the outside of the housing. The main tankmay include an outletprovided at the bottom.

The heat exchange partmay be a component for inducing heat exchange with the heating medium under the control of the controllerin response to user manipulation and/or preset conditions. The heat exchange partmay include a thermoelectric element, a heating medium block, and a heat dissipation part.

The thermoelectric elementuses the Peltier effect, and is an element that creates a temperature difference through a potential difference by using the effect that occurs when bipolar semiconductors (for example, N-type semiconductors and P-type semiconductors) are combined. When a voltage is applied to the thermoelectric element, a temperature difference occurs on both sides of the element, and one of the one side and the other side can perform a heating action through heat generation, and the other can perform a cooling action through heat absorption. The heating surface and the cooling surface of the thermoelectric elementchange depending on the direction of current, and the amount of heat generation and heat absorption can be adjusted depending on the amount of current.

The heating medium blockmay be located on one side of the thermoelectric element. Preferably, one side of the heating medium blockmay be positioned to contact the one side of the thermoelectric element. The heating medium blockmay be located between the thermoelectric elementand the main tank. Preferably, the other side of the heating medium blockmay be positioned to contact the main tank.

The heating medium blockmay accommodate a circulating heating medium therein. That is, the heating medium blockmay include a flow path that can induce heat exchange by the thermoelectric elementin the process in which the circulating heating medium flows in from the temperature regulating apparatusand then is discharged to the main tank. To this end, the heating medium blockmay include a block inlet, a plurality of partition walls, and a block outlet. The block inletmay be a portion through which the heating medium returned from the temperature regulating apparatusflows into the heating medium block. The plurality of partition wallsmay form a flow path of the heating medium introduced through the block inlet. The block outletmay be a portion that communicates with the main tanksuch that the heating medium flowing through the flow path formed by the partition wallsis discharged to the main tank.

One end of the flow path provided by the partition wallsmay communicate with the block inlet, and the other end may communicate with the block outlet. The block inletmay be open toward the lower part of the housingin the downward direction, and the block outletmay be open toward the inside of the main tank. Accordingly, the flow path of the heating medium within the heating medium blockmay be formed by the block inlet, partition walls, and block outlet.

The partition wallsmay guide the flow of the heating medium. The plurality of partition wallsextend in the left and right directions (or lateral direction or horizontal direction) within the heating medium blockand may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the up and down directions (or vertical direction). The plurality of partition wallsmay be disposed in a zigzag shape to induce the heating medium to flow in a zigzag shape. This may mean ensuring that the flow path of the heating medium is sufficiently long in a limited space. While the heating medium flows along the flow path inside the heating medium block, sufficient heat exchange can occur between the heating medium and the thermoelectric element, so the heat exchange efficiency can be significantly improved.

The heating medium blockmay include a first bodyand a second bodythat can be assembled. The external shape of the heating medium blockmay be determined by the combination of the first bodyand the second body. One side of the first bodymay be positioned to contact the thermoelectric element. The partition wallsmay be formed on the other side of the first body. The first bodyand the partition wallsmay be made of the same material and may be made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as a metal material. Accordingly, since the first bodyand the partition walls, which have relatively high thermal conductivity, are in direct contact with the thermoelectric element, the efficiency of heat exchange with the heating medium flowing along the flow path provided by the partition wallscan be significantly improved.

The second bodymay be fixed to the first bodywhile covering the partition walls. By combining the first bodyand the second body, the flow path formed by the partition wallsmay be determined in one direction set in advance. One side of the second bodymay be in contact with the main tank. One surface of the main tankmay be fixed to the one side of the second bodyin an open state. The second bodymay be formed of the same material as the first body. Alternatively, the second bodymay be made of the same material as the main tank, for example, plastic. In this case, the second bodyand the main tankmay be formed integrally.

The heat dissipation partmay include a heat sinkand a heat dissipation fanthat perform a heat dissipation function. The heat sinkmay be located on the other side of the thermoelectric element. The heat sinkmay include heat dissipation fins formed on the other side thereof opposite one side adjacent to the thermoelectric element. The heat dissipation fanmay be located on the other side of the heat sinkand operate to discharge heat-exchanged air to the outside. The heat dissipation fanmay be fixed to the other side of the heat sink. If necessary, the heat dissipation fanmay operate to allow outside air to flow thereinto. If necessary, a plurality of heat sinksand heat dissipation fansmay be provided.

The heating medium circulation partmay include flow pipes through which the heating medium flows. The heating medium circulation partmay connect some components within the heating medium temperature control device, and may connect some components within the heating medium temperature control deviceand the temperature regulating apparatus. The heating medium circulation partmay include at least a discharge lineand an inflow line.

The discharge linemay connect the main tankand the temperature regulating apparatus. The discharge linemay refer to a flow pipe through which the heating medium discharged from the outletof the main tankflows to the temperature regulating apparatus. The inflow linemay connect the heating medium blockand the temperature regulating apparatus. The inflow linemay refer to a flow pipe through which the heating medium returned from the temperature regulating apparatusflows to the block inletof the heating medium block. A flow path of the heating medium circulating the heating medium temperature control deviceand the temperature regulating apparatusmay be formed by the inflow lineand the discharge line. The flow path may be formed as follows, and the heating medium may circulate along the flow path corresponding to user settings and/or predetermined conditions.

The circulation pumpmay induce circulation of the heating medium in the flow path. The circulation pumpmay be located below the main tankand may be connected to the discharge line, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The controllermay perform one or more instructions. The controllermay control the heating medium temperature control deviceaccording to preset conditions including a cooling mode and a heating mode. The preset conditions may include information on device operation by a user, information related to information on surrounding environment information, etc. The preset conditions may be input through the user input part. Alternatively, the heating medium temperature control devicemay further include a communication unit capable of communicating with a user terminal, and the preset conditions may be input through the user terminal. The preset conditions can be stored in advance in a memory.

For example, the controllermay apply power to the thermoelectric elementand drive the circulation pumpin response to a power ON signal. The controllermay control the thermoelectric elementin response to a cooling mode signal (or temperature setting corresponding to cooling mode). That is, the controllermay control the current direction of the thermoelectric elementto a preset direction such that one side of the thermoelectric elementfacing the heating medium blockperforms a cooling function. The controllermay control the thermoelectric elementin response to a heating mode signal (or temperature setting corresponding to heating mode). That is, the controllermay control the current direction of the thermoelectric elementto a preset reverse direction such that the one side of the thermoelectric elementfacing the heating medium blockperforms a heating function. The controllermay obtain sensing information from a temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heat medium discharged toward the temperature regulating apparatusand control the amount of current of the thermoelectric element such that the heating medium at a temperature set by the user can be discharged.

The controllermay be implemented as a non-volatile computer-readable medium including executable program instructions. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, a ROM, a RAM, a compact disc (CD)-ROMs, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, a flash drive, a smart card, and am optical data storage device.

The controllermay be implemented using at least one of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital signal processing device (DSPD), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a processor, a microprocessor, and an electrical unit for performing other functions.

The heating medium temperature control devicemay further include a power supply for supplying power to at least some components of the device. The power supply may receive power from an external source or may include an energy storage device such as a battery.

is a diagram for describing the shape of the partition walls according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.andare diagrams comparing fluid temperature distributions and fluid trajectory distributions when protrusions are formed on the partition walls and when protrusions are not formed thereon.

Referring to, the heating medium blockmay include the partition walls. As described above, the partition wallsare arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction and may be arranged in a zigzag shape to form one flow path. For example, as illustrated, one of adjacent partition wallsmay be shifted to the left to form a right holethat is open on the right side, and the other may be shifted to the right to form a left holethat is open on the left side. According to such arrangement of the partition walls, the heating medium blockmay have a structure in which right holesand left holesare formed sequentially alternately from bottom to top in at least some areas.