JP2024077274A - Holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a holding device which can achieve low power consumption and hold an object to be heated (a heated object).SOLUTION: A holding device 1 holds a heated object 2 and includes: a storage part 10 in which at least a part of the heated object 2 is stored; a first electro-thermal body 20 which generates electromotive force according to a difference between a temperature of the heated object 2 and an ambient temperature of the heated object 2; and a second electro-thermal body 30 which generates a temperature difference between a first surface 33 and a second surface 34 according to the electromotive force occurring in the first electro-thermal body 20. The heated object 2 is heated through the first surface 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a holding device for holding an object to be heated.

For example, even if you want to maintain the temperature of an object, if the temperature around the object (e.g., the outside air) is higher than the temperature of the object, the temperature of the object will rise, and if the temperature around the object is lower than the temperature of the object, the temperature of the object will fall. Therefore, technologies for maintaining the temperature of an object have been studied (for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 describes a drink holder equipped with a heat-insulating/cold-insulating element that produces a Peltier effect in response to the supply of electric current. The heat-insulating/cold-insulating element is provided in contact with the bottom surface of a beverage container, with one of a pair of heat transfer surfaces exposed to the bottom surface of the drink holder. The heat-insulating/cold-insulating element is connected to a power source so that the direction of current supply can be switched between forward and reverse, and the exposed surface of the heat-insulating/cold-insulating element switches between generating and absorbing heat in response to switching the direction of current supply, thereby keeping the beverage container warm or cold.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-67197

As mentioned above, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires electricity from a power source to generate a Peltier effect in the heat-retaining/cool-retaining element. For this reason, it cannot be used in places where there is no power source. Furthermore, if one considers installing the technology in an electric vehicle to use a drink holder in the electric vehicle, for example, the heat-retaining/cool-retaining element would be supplied with power from the battery installed in the electric vehicle, which would cause a deterioration in electricity consumption and a reduction in the driving range. For this reason, there is room for improvement in terms of reducing power consumption.

Therefore, there is a demand for a holding device that can hold the object to be heated and that can reduce power consumption.

The characteristic configuration of the holding device according to the present invention is that it is a holding device for holding an object to be heated, and includes a storage section in which at least a portion of the object to be heated is stored, a first thermoelectric element that generates an electromotive force in response to the difference between the temperature of the object to be heated and the temperature around the object to be heated, and a second thermoelectric element that generates a temperature difference between a first surface and a second surface in response to the electromotive force generated in the first thermoelectric element, and heats the object to be heated via the first surface.

With this characteristic configuration, if there is a difference between the temperature of the object to be heated and the temperature around the object to be heated, an electromotive force can be generated in the first thermoelectric element. Furthermore, by applying this electromotive force to the second thermoelectric element, a temperature difference can be generated between the first and second surfaces of the second thermoelectric element. Therefore, by keeping the first surface in contact with the object to be heated, it is possible to make it difficult for a cold object to be heated to warm up, and difficult for a warm object to be cooled to cool down. In this way, since the holding device does not require an external power supply, it is possible to hold the object to be heated with low power consumption.

It is also preferable that the first thermoelectric element is provided at the bottom of the housing portion, and the second thermoelectric element is provided at the side wall of the housing portion.

With this configuration, the first thermoelectric element receives heat from the bottom surface of the object to be heated, and the second thermoelectric element covers the outer periphery of the object to be heated and heats it. In addition, the contact area between the object to be heated and the second thermoelectric element can be increased, which improves the heating efficiency of the object to be heated.

It is also preferable that the second thermoelectric element is a flexible Peltier element provided around the entire periphery of the side wall portion.

With this configuration, even if the object to be heated is cylindrical, for example, it is possible to provide the second thermoelectric element along the outer circumferential surface of the object to be heated. This makes it possible to efficiently heat the object to be heated.

It is also preferable that a flexible member capable of deforming in response to the load of the object to be heated is disposed between the first thermoelectric element and the object to be heated.

With this configuration, even if the bottom surface of the object to be heated is not flat, the contact area between the first thermoelectric element and the object to be heated can be increased via the flexible member. This makes it possible to improve the heating efficiency of the object to be heated.

In addition, it is preferable that the object to be heated is a columnar beverage container in which a beverage is stored, and that the second thermoelectric element keeps the beverage warm.

With this configuration, if the beverage is cold, it will be less likely to heat up, and if the beverage is warm, it will be less likely to cool down. This makes it easier to maintain the beverage at an appropriate temperature.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. This is an example of heating an object to be heated. This is an example of cooling an object to be heated. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the effect when the object to be heated is warm. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the effect when the object to be heated is cold.

The holding device according to the present invention is configured to consume low power and keep hot items warm and cold items cold. The holding device can be used, for example, as a drink holder mounted in a vehicle. The holding device 1 of this embodiment is described below.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the holding device 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the holding device 1 holds an object 2 to be heated. In this embodiment, the object 2 to be heated is described as a columnar beverage container in which a beverage is stored. A columnar beverage container in which a beverage is stored corresponds to, for example, a can or a plastic bottle containing coffee, juice, or the like. The beverage container may also be a cup-shaped container, etc.

The holding device 1 includes a storage section 10, a first thermoelectric body 20, and a second thermoelectric body 30. The storage section 10 stores at least a portion of the object to be heated 2. The housing 3 of the holding device 1 is made of, for example, resin. The storage section 10 corresponds to a portion of the housing 3 that is formed in a bowl shape into which at least a portion of the object to be heated 2 can be inserted.

The first thermoelectric body 20 generates an electromotive force according to the difference between the temperature of the object to be heated 2 and the temperature around the object to be heated 2. The first thermoelectric body 20 has two different types of metals and is configured using a Seebeck element that has the Seebeck effect, which generates a potential difference between the two types of metals when a temperature difference is applied between the two types of metals from the outside. In this embodiment, one of the two types of metals is the first heat receiving part 21, and the other of the two types of metals is the second heat receiving part 22. In this embodiment, the first thermoelectric body 20 is provided at the bottom of the storage part 10, and the first heat receiving part 21 is provided so as to face the bottom surface 2B of the object to be heated 2.

Here, the bottom surface 2B of the object to be heated 2 may not be flat. Therefore, if the first heat receiving portion 21 is separated from the bottom surface 2B of the object to be heated 2, heat is difficult to transfer from the bottom surface 2B of the object to be heated 2 to the first heat receiving portion 21. Therefore, in this embodiment, a flexible member 40 that can deform according to the load of the object to be heated 2 is arranged between the first thermoelectric body 20 and the object to be heated 2. As a result, regardless of the shape of the object to be heated 2, the flexible member 40 deforms according to the weight of the object to be heated 2, eliminating the gap between the first thermoelectric body 20 and the object to be heated 2, and it is possible to make close contact via the flexible member 40. Therefore, it is preferable to use a material with a high thermal conductivity (high heat transfer coefficient) for the flexible member 40. In addition, it is preferable to provide a through hole in the part of the housing 3 facing the second heat receiving part 22 so that the second heat receiving part 22 is exposed to the outside air, or to form the part of the housing 3 facing the second heat receiving part 22 in a mesh-like shape.

As a result, when the temperature of the object to be heated 2 is higher than the temperature of the outside air, it is possible to generate an electromotive force between the first heat receiving part 21 and the second heat receiving part 22. Also, when the temperature of the object to be heated 2 is lower than the temperature of the outside air, it is possible to generate an electromotive force between the first heat receiving part 21 and the second heat receiving part 22.

Here, for ease of understanding, it is assumed that when the temperature of heat received by the first heat receiving section 21 is higher than the temperature of heat received by the second heat receiving section 22, the potential at the first terminal 20A connected to the first heat receiving section 21 is higher than the potential at the second terminal 20B connected to the second heat receiving section 22. Also, when the temperature of heat received by the first heat receiving section 21 is lower than the temperature of heat received by the second heat receiving section 22, it is assumed that the potential at the first terminal 20A connected to the first heat receiving section 21 is lower than the potential at the second terminal 20B connected to the second heat receiving section 22.

That is, the first thermoelectric body 20 is configured so that when the temperature of the heat received by the first heat receiving section 21 is higher than the temperature of the heat received by the second heat receiving section 22, the potential of the first terminal 20A as viewed from the second terminal 20B is positive. Also, the first thermoelectric body 20 is configured so that when the temperature of the heat received by the first heat receiving section 21 is lower than the temperature of the heat received by the second heat receiving section 22, the potential of the first terminal 20A as viewed from the second terminal 20B is negative. The potential generated at the first terminal 20A and the second terminal 20B of such a first thermoelectric body 20 is output to the second thermoelectric body 30 described below.

The second thermoelectric body 30 generates a temperature difference between the first surface 33 and the second surface 34 in response to the electromotive force generated in the first thermoelectric body 20. The second thermoelectric body 30 has two different types of metals, and is configured using a Peltier element that has a Peltier effect that generates a temperature difference between the two types of metals when a potential difference is applied from the outside between the two types of metals. In this embodiment, one of the two types of metals is the first heating portion 31, and the other of the two types of metals is the second heating portion 32.

As described above, the electromotive force generated in the first thermoelectric body 20 is output to the second thermoelectric body 30 via the first terminal 20A and the second terminal 20B. Specifically, the first terminal 20A is electrically connected to the first terminal 30A connected to the first heat generating portion 31, and the second terminal 20B is electrically connected to the second terminal 30B connected to the second heat generating portion 32. These connections may be made with electric wires or cables. They may also be made using conductors that are insulated from each other. In this way, the electromotive force generated in the first thermoelectric body 20 is input to the second thermoelectric body 30.

Here, for ease of understanding, it is assumed that the temperature of the first heating portion 31 of the second thermoelectric body 30 becomes high when the potential of the first heating portion 31 is higher than the potential of the second heating portion 32. Also, it is assumed that the temperature of the first heating portion 31 of the second thermoelectric body 30 becomes low when the potential of the first heating portion 31 is lower than the potential of the second heating portion 32.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, in the first thermoelectric body 20, when the temperature of the heat received by the first heat receiving section 21 is higher than the temperature of the heat received by the second heat receiving section 22, the second thermoelectric body 30 is configured so that the temperature of the first heat generating section 31 is higher than the temperature of the second heat generating section 32. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in the first thermoelectric body 20, when the temperature of the heat received by the first heat receiving section 21 is lower than the temperature of the heat received by the second heat receiving section 22, the second thermoelectric body 30 is configured so that the temperature of the first heat generating section 31 is lower than the temperature of the second heat generating section 32.

The first heat generating section 31 and the second heat generating section 32 are stacked. The second thermoelectric body 30 is provided on the side wall section 11 of the storage section 10 with the first heat generating section 31 facing the object to be heated 2. In this embodiment, the second thermoelectric body 30 is provided so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the object to be heated 2 in the circumferential direction, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. It is preferable to provide a through hole in the part of the housing 3 facing the second heat generating section 32, or to form the part of the housing 3 facing the second heat generating section 32 in a mesh shape so that the second thermoelectric body 30 is exposed to the outside air.

The second thermoelectric body 30 is constructed using a Peltier element as described above, but is constructed of a flexible Peltier element provided around the entire circumference of the side wall portion 11. A flexible Peltier element is a Peltier element that can be bent. This allows the second thermoelectric body 30 to be provided along the outer circumferential surface of the object to be heated 2. This makes it possible to bring the first heat generating portion 31 closer (preferably, to bring the first heat generating portion 31 into close contact with the object to be heated 2).

With the above configuration, the holding device 1 is able to heat the object 2 to be heated via the first surface 33. Therefore, the second thermoelectric element 30 can keep the beverage in the beverage container warm. Here, in this embodiment, "heating" includes not only heating the object 2 to be heated by applying a high temperature, but also cooling the object 2 to be heated by applying a low temperature. Furthermore, "keeping warm" includes not only maintaining the temperature of the object 2 to be heated that is in a high temperature state, but also maintaining the temperature of the object 2 to be heated that is in a low temperature state.

The first thermoelectric body 20 and the second thermoelectric body 30 are electrically connected as described above, but it is also possible to provide a switch to cut off this connection. This makes it possible to stop the function of the holding device 1 to heat or cool the object to be heated 2.

It is also possible to use a switch that can be switched between a first state in which the first terminal 20A is connected to the first terminal 30A and the second terminal 20B is connected to the second terminal 30B, and a second state in which the first terminal 20A is connected to the second terminal 30B and the second terminal 20B is connected to the first terminal 30A. This makes it possible to switch the connection between the first thermoelectric body 20 and the second thermoelectric body 30, and therefore to switch the direction of the current flowing between the first thermoelectric body 20 and the second thermoelectric body 30.

Furthermore, instead of the above-mentioned switch, or together with the switch, a diode may be provided to regulate (match) the direction in which the electromotive force is applied from the first thermoelectric body 20 to the second thermoelectric body 30.

Figure 5 shows an example of temperature change when the holding device 1 holds a beverage container in which a hot beverage is stored as the object to be heated 2. In Figure 5, the vertical axis represents temperature and the horizontal axis represents time. For reference, the figure also shows the temperature change of a beverage container in which a hot beverage is stored when the holding device 1 is not used.

When the holding device 1 in FIG. 5 is not used, the beverage container, which has a temperature of T0°C at t0, drops to a temperature of T1°C, which is a predetermined percentage of T0°C (for example, a temperature equivalent to 60% of the difference between T0 and Ta (where Ta is the ambient temperature)), at t1, and then drops to the ambient temperature of the beverage container. In other words, when the holding device 1 is not used, it takes t1 for the beverage container to drop from T0°C to T1°C.

On the other hand, when the holding device 1 is used, the beverage container has a temperature of T0°C at t0, which drops to T1°C at t2, and then drops to the ambient temperature of the beverage container. In other words, when the holding device 1 is used, it takes t2 for the beverage container to drop from T0°C to T1°C. Here, t2>t1, as shown in Figure 5.

As described above, by using the holding device 1, it is possible to keep the beverage stored in the beverage container warm for a longer period of time than if the holding device 1 were not used. Therefore, the holding device 1 makes it difficult for the hot beverage to cool down, so the user can drink the beverage at a warm temperature over a longer period of time than if the holding device 1 were not used.

Figure 6 shows an example of temperature change when the holding device 1 holds a beverage container in which a cold beverage is stored as the object to be heated 2. In Figure 6, the vertical axis represents temperature and the horizontal axis represents time. For reference, the figure also shows the temperature change of a beverage container in which a cold beverage is stored when the holding device 1 is not used.

When the holding device 1 in FIG. 6 is not used, the beverage container, whose temperature is T0°C at t0, rises to T1°C, which is a predetermined percentage of T0°C (for example, a temperature equivalent to 60% of the difference between T0 and Ta (where Ta is the ambient temperature)), at t1, and then rises to the ambient temperature of the beverage container. In other words, when the holding device 1 is not used, it takes t1 for the beverage container to rise from T0°C to T1°C.

On the other hand, when the holding device 1 is used, the beverage container has a temperature of T0°C at t0, which rises to T1°C at t2, and then rises to the ambient temperature of the beverage container. In other words, when the holding device 1 is used, it takes t2 for the beverage container to rise from T0°C to T1°C. Here, as shown in Figure 6, t2 > t1.

As described above, by using the holding device 1, it is possible to keep the beverage stored in the beverage container cold for a longer period of time than if the holding device 1 were not used. Therefore, the holding device 1 makes it difficult for a cold beverage to warm up, so that the user can drink a cold beverage over a longer period of time than if the holding device 1 were not used.

Other embodiments
In the above embodiment, it has been described that the first thermoelectric element 20 is provided at the bottom of the storage unit 10, and the second thermoelectric element 30 is provided at the side wall portion 11 of the storage unit 10. However, the first thermoelectric element 20 may be provided at the side wall portion 11 of the storage unit 10, and the second thermoelectric element 30 may be provided at the bottom of the storage unit 10.

In the above embodiment, the second thermoelectric body 30 has been described as a flexible Peltier element provided around the entire circumference of the side wall portion 11. However, the second thermoelectric body 30 may be a flexible Peltier element provided only on a portion of the side wall portion 11, or the second thermoelectric body 30 may be a Peltier element different from the flexible Peltier element provided around the entire circumference of the side wall portion 11. In this case, it is preferable to provide multiple small Peltier elements along the circumferential direction of the side wall portion 11.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that a flexible member 40 that can deform in response to the load of the object to be heated 2 is disposed between the first thermoelectric body 20 and the object to be heated 2. However, it is also possible to configure the device without disposing a flexible member 40 between the first thermoelectric body 20 and the object to be heated 2.

In the above embodiment, the object to be heated 2 is a cylindrical beverage container in which a beverage is stored, and the second thermoelectric element 30 is described as keeping the beverage warm. However, the object to be heated 2 may be, for example, a can filled with fruit, or ice cream or other frozen confectionery packed in a container. It may also be frozen food packed in a container, or hot or cold food in a container.

The present invention can be used in a holding device that holds an object to be heated.

1: Holding device 2: Object to be heated 10: Storage section 11: Side wall section 20: First thermoelectric body 30: Second thermoelectric body 33: First surface 34: Second surface 40: Flexible member

Claims (5)

A holding device for holding an object to be heated,
A storage section in which at least a portion of the object to be heated is stored;
A first thermoelectric element that generates an electromotive force in response to a difference between a temperature of the object to be heated and a temperature around the object to be heated;
a second thermoelectric body that generates a temperature difference between a first surface and a second surface in response to an electromotive force generated in the first thermoelectric body;
A holding device that heats the object to be heated through the first surface. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the first thermoelectric element is provided on the bottom of the housing portion, and the second thermoelectric element is provided on the side wall of the housing portion. The holding device according to claim 2, wherein the second thermoelectric element is a flexible Peltier element provided around the entire periphery of the side wall portion. The holding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a flexible member capable of deforming in response to the load of the object to be heated is disposed between the first thermoelectric body and the object to be heated. The object to be heated is a columnar beverage container in which a beverage is stored,
The holding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second thermoelectric element keeps the beverage warm.

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