JP2010171180A - Portable device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable device which is superior in portability and has an added practical temperature control function for a casing by using a temperature adjustment element like a Peltier element. <P>SOLUTION: The Peltier element 21 as the temperature adjustment element is arranged on the reverse side of the back of the casing of a cellular phone terminal 100. The Peltier element 21 heats or cools the external surface of the casing from inside as instructed by a user. Especially in cooling, heat generated on the back of the Peltier element 21 is transferred to the water in a tank (container) through a heat sink 27. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable device in which a temperature adjustment function is added to a housing.

  Mobile phone terminals as a type of mobile device have become widespread and have become an indispensable communication tool for many people. Usually, the mobile terminal is held by the user with one hand, and is operated with the thumb of the hand or the index finger of the other hand during operation.

  During such operations, sweating due to an increase in hand temperature and dull hand movement due to a decrease can be cited as one of the causes of deterioration of the operability of the mobile phone terminal. These are brought about when the outside air temperature is not an appropriate temperature. Gloves are a simple way to keep hands warm during cold weather, but it is difficult to operate a mobile phone while wearing gloves. In addition, there is no effective countermeasure for cooling during hot weather when going out.

  For example, disposable warmers and cooling sheets exist as portable tools for warming and cooling the body while going out. However, once the disposable body warmer is used, heat generation cannot be interrupted, and the cooling sheet also has a problem that it cannot be used if it loses its adhesiveness. Cairo is also reported to cause low-temperature burns if used incorrectly and is dangerous.

  On the other hand, a “rechargeable body warmer” has been put into practical use as an example that can be operated only when it is desired to be used and has portability. Unlike conventional disposable warmers, this has the advantage that it can be used repeatedly because it uses a rechargeable battery. However, it is only a function to warm the body, and cooling is impossible. Thereby, a use season will also be limited. Also, because Cairo is not always required, it can be considered that it is not carried when unexpectedly needed.

  As an example in which a function for changing the temperature is added to a mobile phone terminal, there is one described in Patent Document 1. This incorporates an electric heater, which is heated by the electric energy of the battery in the mobile phone terminal to change the temperature of the housing surface.

JP 2007-259141 A

  A portable terminal is often worn by a user at all times, and the conventional technique described in Patent Document 1 is convenient in that it is not necessary to increase the belongings again.

  However, this prior art is also only temperature rise control. In addition, since not only the outer surface of the housing but also the inside of the terminal is heated as the temperature rises, there is a concern of causing thermal damage to the internal equipment.

  Further, in the patent document 1, the use of a Peltier element is suggested as a method for realizing another heating method and a cooling function. However, heat treatment during cooling and a specific mechanism therefor are not described, and there is a problem in feasibility.

  The present invention has been made in such a background, and intends to provide a portable device to which a temperature adjustment function of a practical casing excellent in portability is added using a temperature adjustment means such as a Peltier element. Is.

  A portable terminal according to the present invention includes a housing, a temperature adjusting unit that heats or cools the outer surface of the housing from the inside, an instruction receiving unit that receives a user instruction to selectively instruct heating or cooling, and the reception Drive means for controlling the temperature adjusting means in accordance with a given instruction. With this configuration, the temperature of at least the housing portion held by the user is raised or lowered according to the user's instruction.

  The temperature adjusting element includes, for example, a Peltier element, and the driving means can perform heating or cooling by switching the direction of a current passed through the Peltier element.

  Preferably, a container enclosing a liquid is provided inside the casing, and the Peltier element is disposed between a back surface of a heat sink having fins protruding into the container and an inner side surface of the casing. The heat sink acts to efficiently transfer the heat generated from the opposite surface of the Peltier element to the water in the container, particularly during cooling. As a result, the casing can be efficiently cooled.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to increase or decrease the temperature of the housing portion that is held by the user's hand, thereby enabling heating or cooling of the user's hand during operation, and improving the operability of the mobile terminal. Improvements can be made.

It is the perspective view which showed the external appearance of the front and back of the mobile telephone terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which shows the inside of the terminal main body which removed the cover of the back side of the mobile telephone terminal of FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a tank (container) -like structure that stores water in the mobile phone terminal of FIG. 1. It is the figure which showed the outline of the cross section of the mobile telephone terminal in embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit block diagram for driving the Peltier device in the embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the structural example of the more concrete drive circuit of the Peltier device in embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed typically the tank of the cross-sectional mountain type in embodiment of this invention along with the tank of the cross-sectional rectangle for a comparison.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  In this embodiment, a mobile phone terminal is taken as an example of a mobile device. A temperature control function is directly added to the mobile phone terminal to improve the operability of the mobile phone terminal. For this purpose, a Peltier element is used as a temperature adjusting element that selectively heats or cools the outer surface of the casing of the terminal, and a mobile phone terminal with a temperature change function utilizing its heat absorption and heat dissipation phenomenon is realized.

  By using a Peltier element, heating and cooling can be performed with the same element, and its sensory effect on the human body has been confirmed to be immediately effective. Moreover, since it operates with electric energy, it can be used repeatedly as long as the rechargeable battery is charged. By being mounted on a mobile phone terminal that is frequently carried, it has an advantage that it can be used immediately when it is necessary to warm or cool the body while going out.

  FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing the front and rear appearances of the mobile phone terminal according to the present embodiment.

  The cellular phone terminal 100 has a display unit 13 in an upper main part on the front side, and an operation unit 14 below the display unit 13. A sub camera 15 and an ear receiver 16 are disposed on the display unit 13. On the side surface of the display unit 13, an up button 11 and a down button 12 are provided as temperature adjustment buttons that function as instruction receiving means according to the present invention. While the upward button 11 is pressed by the user, the temperature of the rear casing is increased, and the temperature of the rear casing is decreased only while the downward button 12 is pressed. Thereby, an intuitive temperature control operation is possible. The upward button 11 and the downward button 12 can be configured by push switches. Or it is good also considering the direction of the slide as both upward and downward directions using a single slide switch. In any type, a moment switch is preferable. The moment switch is always urged to an OFF state, and is a switch that is turned on against the urging force only while the user applies an operating force. As a result, it can be prevented that the switch is kept ON by mistake.

  A main camera 17 is arranged on the back side of the terminal. Usually, a mobile phone terminal can be held by a user so that one hand is wrapped around the back of the terminal. Therefore, the back side of the terminal is suitable for warming or cooling the user's hand at the terminal. Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the back surface of the terminal casing can be variably controlled.

  The main camera 17 and the sub camera 15 are not essential elements in the present invention.

  FIG. 2 shows the inside of the terminal body 20 with the covers 22, 23, 24 on the back side of the mobile phone terminal 100 removed. As can be seen from this figure, a plurality of (eight in this example) Peltier elements 21 are arranged on the back side of the rear cover 22 constituting the back surface of the housing. The function of heating and cooling the casing of the mobile phone terminal can be obtained by utilizing the heat absorption and heat dissipation phenomenon of these Peltier elements 21. Since the Peltier element 21 can reverse the heat absorption surface and the heat dissipation surface depending on the direction of the applied current, the back surface of the terminal can be heated and cooled by the same element.

  When the terminal back surface portion is cooled, the high temperature surface opposite to the cooling surface of the Peltier element 21 is located inside the mobile phone terminal. Such a high temperature surface is inevitably generated as a characteristic of the Peltier element. As a result, there is a possibility that heat is trapped inside the mobile phone terminal, and the entire terminal becomes hot, leading to damage or failure. In addition, the temperature difference of the Peltier element may shift to the high temperature side, and the target cooling temperature may not be obtained. Therefore, a structure for releasing or absorbing heat is required. As a method for meeting such a demand, a structure in which heat is absorbed by a liquid (in this embodiment, water) has been realized. Air cooling can also be considered as another solution, but air cooling could not achieve a sufficient effect with a size that can be mounted on a mobile phone terminal, power consumption for turning the fan wasted, There are many problems such as uncomfortable feeling during use because the wind comes from the telephone terminal. Therefore, it can be said that water cooling is preferable to air cooling.

  FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a tank (container) -like structure for storing water inside the mobile phone terminal 100. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a cross section of the mobile phone terminal 100.

  A tank lid 29 that covers the back surface of the terminal body 20 incorporating the original functional part of the mobile phone terminal 100 is provided, and water is accumulated in a space formed between the tank lid 29 and the tank body 25. The material of the tank lid 29 is not particularly limited, but SUS sheet metal is used in this example. In order to join the tank lid 29 and the tank main body 25 in a watertight manner, they are joined via a packing (gasket) 28. In this example, this connection is performed by screwing. Prior to this screwing, the heat sink 27 is watertightly coupled to the inner side surface of the tank body 25 via a packing (gasket) 26. In this example, this connection is also performed by screwing. The material of the packings 26 and 28 is a hydrophobic elastic member, and rubber was used in this example. A window 25 a is formed in the tank body 25, and a window 26 a corresponding to the packing 26 is also formed. A large number of fins 27 a protrude into the tank internal space of the heat sink 27. The back surface of the heat sink 27 is exposed to the outside of the tank from the window 25a of the tank body 25. A plurality of Peltier elements 21 are brought into contact with the exposed back surface of the heat sink 27. Water is injected into the tank at a predetermined stage. For the adhesion between the heat sink 27 and the Peltier element 21 and the adhesion between the rear cover (case rear part) 22 and the Peltier element 21, an adhesive (for example, silicon grease) having high thermal conductivity is used. Loss can be reduced. The heat sink 27 is made of a member having excellent thermal conductivity (for example, aluminum). The rear cover 22 is covered from the outside of the tank body 25 including the Peltier element 21 and the end covers 23 and 24 are attached to the upper and lower ends of the terminal body 20 to complete the terminal configuration. The rear cover 22 is also made of a member having excellent thermal conductivity (for example, aluminum).

  Since the heat sink 27 can be installed so that the entire fins of the heat sink are accommodated in the tank inner space, there is no extra structure on the outer side of the tank, and it is possible to reduce the size and prevent the mobile phone terminal from being unnecessarily large. Is possible.

  The heat processing structure inside a mobile telephone terminal formed by the structure shown in FIG. 3 is typically shown. With such a configuration, when the terminal is cooled, the heat generated from the back side of the Peltier element 21 (opposite to the back side of the terminal) can be guided to the water by the heat sink 27 and efficiently transferred to the water. . Moreover, the heat transfer to the base | substrate inside a mobile telephone terminal can be reduced by making it heat-store in water with a large heat capacity. By improving the heat transfer coefficient with a heat sink, a sufficient effect can be achieved without intentionally causing convection in water. It does not consume extra energy that generates convection. A drive system such as a pump is required to cause convection, but a pump or the like is not necessary in the structure of the present invention. Therefore, there is also a merit that there is no noise such as operation sound and it is excellent in portability.

  It is considered that the time for cooling is limited, and it is sufficient that the temperature of the terminal housing is lowered during that time. The heat accumulated in the internal water is gradually dissipated from the entire mobile phone terminal to the outside of the mobile phone terminal when the terminal is not used, so that the water temperature returns to an equilibrium temperature with the outside air. Therefore, the cooling action by the tank can be used any number of times. Therefore, many advantages for the mobile phone terminal such as not using wasteful energy, good portability, and no mechanical operating part by using water can be obtained.

  FIG. 5 shows a circuit block diagram for controlling the Peltier element 21 of the present embodiment. In this example, an existing motor driver IC 50 is used as a circuit for driving the Peltier element 21. The motor driver IC 50 can flow currents in both the positive direction and the negative direction for forward and reverse rotation with respect to the motor to be driven. This function can be used for controlling the Peltier element 21 as it is. In addition, a Peltier power source 52 for driving the Peltier element 21 is prepared separately from the IC power source 51 that also serves for terminal control. Both power supplies 51 and 52 correspond to the batteries 31 and 32 shown in FIG. The reason why the two power supplies are provided independently is to avoid consuming power necessary for the operation of the original terminal due to thermal control of the terminal. The motor driver IC 50 is controlled by the voltage adjustment circuit 53 in accordance with a user operation, and a current in the positive direction or the negative direction is passed through the Peltier element 21. As a simplest example, the voltage adjustment circuit 53 includes switches 53 and 54 that are operated by the upward button 11 and the downward button 12 described above, respectively, and receives a user operation.

  In addition to the switch, although not particularly shown, a means for adjusting the current flowing through the Peltier element 21 may be provided. As a means for this adjustment, for example, a method of variably controlling the current value with a variable resistor can be considered. A method of variably controlling the number of Peltier elements 21 that are operated simultaneously is also conceivable. By such variable control, the target temperature required by the user can be changed and the temperature required by the user can be adjusted. By making the target temperature variable, it is not necessary to always output the highest temperature and the lowest temperature, so that power consumption can be saved.

  Note that, due to the nature of the present invention, the control to the target temperature does not have to be strict, and it is sufficient if the amount of heat generated or absorbed per unit time can be variably controlled. However, in order to make it more strict, it is not excluded to provide a temperature sensor and perform feedback control of the Peltier element 21 according to the detected temperature.

  FIG. 6 shows a more specific configuration example of the drive circuit of the Peltier element 21. As shown in the drawing, a signal voltage is applied to the terminal 1 of the motor driver IC 50 via the switch 53, whereby a positive current flows through the Peltier element 21. Conversely, when a signal voltage is applied to the terminal 2 of the motor driver IC 50 via the switch 54, a reverse current flows. Each of the switches 53 and 54 is constituted by a momentary switch, and when one of the switches is pressed, the Peltier element 21 performs an operation (cooling or heating) corresponding to the current direction while the switch is pressed. Further, since neither of the switches is pressed, the Peltier element does not operate, so that the cooling or heating effect can be obtained only when the user needs it.

  As best shown in FIG. 4, the tank body 25 in the present embodiment has a back surface formed in a cross-sectional mountain shape. This effect will be briefly described with reference to FIG. FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) schematically show a cross-sectional mountain-shaped tank side by side with a rectangular cross-sectional tank for comparison.

  In a tank filled with water for Peltier cooling, a small amount of air is left so that the water can be naturally stirred by being carried by the user or moving the terminal during operation. In addition, since volume expansion due to an increase in water temperature can cause damage to the container and water leakage, it is considered that the introduction of air is a structurally necessary measure. When the container cross section is rectangular as shown in FIG. 7B, when the mobile phone terminal is used so as to be parallel to the floor (for example, when the user is using the terminal on his / her back), the air It is considered that the layer accumulates on the heat sink side, and the base of the fin comes into contact with air, so that the heat sink 27 and the Peltier element 21 are not efficiently cooled. On the other hand, when the cross section is a mountain shape as shown in FIG. 7A, the entire larger number of fins are always in contact with water even in the above case. Therefore, it can be said that the shape of the cross-sectional mountain shape of the tank is structurally suitable for the mobile phone terminal in terms of the cooling function of the fin base.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various modifications and changes other than those mentioned above can be made.

  For example, the portable terminal device is a so-called straight type, but may be a foldable type or a slide type. In that case, the present invention is applied to a housing portion held by the user when the terminal is used.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to application to a mobile phone terminal, and can be applied to any portable electronic device such as a PDA, game machine, small PC, electronic dictionary, and the like.

  Although the temperature change is performed on the back of the terminal of the terminal, the temperature change may be generated in other locations.

  Although the number of Peltier elements is eight, the number is not limited to eight and may be smaller or larger.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Up button, 12 ... Down button, 13 ... Display part, 14 ... Operation part, 15 ... Sub camera, 16 ... Ear receiver, 17 ... Main camera, 20 ... Terminal main body, 21 ... Peltier element, 22 ... Rear cover, 23 24 ... end cover 25 ... tank body 25a ... window 26 ... packing 26a ... window 27 ... heat sink 27a ... fin 28 ... packing 29 ... tank lid 31, 32 ... battery 50 ... motor Driver IC, 51 ... IC power supply, 52 ... Peltier power supply, 53 ... Voltage adjustment circuit, 100 ... Mobile phone terminal

Claims (7)

A housing,
A temperature adjusting element for heating or cooling the outer surface of the housing from the inside;
Instruction receiving means for receiving a user instruction to selectively instruct heating or cooling;
A portable device comprising: drive means for controlling the temperature adjusting element in accordance with the received instruction.   The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature adjustment element includes a Peltier element, and the driving unit performs heating or cooling by switching a direction of a current passed through the Peltier element. A container enclosing a liquid inside the housing;
The portable device according to claim 2, wherein the Peltier element is disposed between a back surface of a heat sink having fins protruding into the container and an inner side surface of the housing.   The portable device according to claim 3, wherein the container is formed in a mountain shape in cross section, and air is left in the container.   The portable device according to claim 2, wherein a power source for driving the Peltier element and a power source for terminal control are separately prepared.   The portable device according to claim 2, wherein the driving unit adjusts an amount of current that flows to the Peltier element in accordance with an instruction from the user.   The portable device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the Peltier elements are provided, and the driving unit controls the number of Peltier elements to be operated among the plurality of Peltier elements in accordance with an instruction from the user.