JPH07260185A - Apparatus for locally sending cold air - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure a higher cold air effect by supplying current to a thermoelectric device and deactivating a cold air fan when a toilet, etc., are not used, while supplying current to the thermoelectric device and a cold air fan when the toilet is used. CONSTITUTION:A thermoelectric device (Peltier device) 4 is disposed in contact with a cold storage member 7, and the thermoelectric device 4 is brought into a conduction state, and a cold air fan 9 is brought into a non-conduction state when a toilet, etc., are not used for example. Hereby, operation of the cold air fan 9 is interrupted so that the cold storage member 7 is kept at low temperature. Upon the use of a toilet, etc., the thermoelectric device 4 and the cold air fan 9 are brought into a conduction state whereby cold air produced by the cold storage member 7 is supplied. It is preferable for an improvement of the heat absorption effect of the cold storage member 7 to dispose a heat absorption member (e.g. heating fin) 8 in contact with the cold storage member 7. Hereby, comfortable cold air is ensured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a local cool air device using a thermoelectric element having a Peltier effect.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A general structure of an electronic cooling element having a Peltier effect is shown in FIG. P-type semiconductor S1 and N-type semiconductor S2
P through the metal A and not connected to the metal A
A metal B is coupled to one end of each of the N-type semiconductor S1 and the N-type semiconductor S2, and a DC power supply terminal is connected to each metal B to form a closed circuit.

When a current flows through this closed circuit, the metal A absorbs heat and each metal B generates heat. Then, when each metal B portion is cooled with cold water or the like, a low temperature is obtained in the metal A portion. Since cold air can be generated using a fan or the like from the low temperature obtained with the metal A and it is suitable for downsizing, it is used for a small room or a local cooling device. Further, the effects of heat absorption and heat generation are reversible, and when the direction of the current passed through the element is changed, the generation and absorption of heat are reversed, and it is applied to various uses as a cooling and heating device.

As a method of cooling the heat radiation portion of the Peltier element, a water cooling method and an air cooling method are known, and as a conventional example of the air cooling method, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-202122 is disclosed.

FIG. 10 shows a vertical sectional view of the first conventional example. In the figure, a work table top plate 1 supported on an abutment 2
The thermal element 3 having the Peltier effect is arranged at the end of the. A heat absorbing fin 5 and a heat radiating fin 6 are attached to the heat absorbing side upper surface and the heat radiating side lower surface of the heat element 3, respectively, and blowers 7 and 8 are provided so as to face the heat absorbing fin 5 and the heat radiating fin 6, respectively. Hoods 9 and 10 are provided above and below the hoods 7 and 8, respectively.

The operation of the above conventional example is as follows. When an electric current is applied to the heat element 3, the heat absorption side of the heat element 3, which is the upper side of the top plate 1, becomes low temperature, and the heat radiation side of the heat element 3, which is the lower side of the top plate 1, becomes high temperature. Air is sucked by the operation of the blowers 7 and 8, and cool air is blown upward from the upper hood 9,
Warm air blows downward from the lower hood 10. Thereby, the air in the room can be circulated, and the temperature of the entire room can be kept uniform. It is also possible to locally obtain a temperature environment that suits the individual's taste.

On the other hand, an apparatus in which a Peltier element is cooled by a water cooling method is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-17414. The configuration of this second conventional example is shown in FIG.
In the figure, a toilet spot air conditioner 10 has a housing 12 on an outer surface of a toilet water storage tank 11, a heat exchange space 18 is formed in the housing 12, and an air intake port 19 and an air outlet port are formed. 20 is provided, heat exchange space 18
An electronic refrigeration element 1 having a Peltier effect is mounted inside the water storage tank 11, and a control circuit 14 for supplying a current to the electronic refrigeration element 1 and air are introduced into and discharged from the heat exchange space 18. Blower 13 is provided.

[0008] This spot air conditioner for a toilet is made compact by using the water in the water tank 11 for a toilet for exhaust heat without using a large heat exchanger or a pipe as a heat exchanger for exhaust heat. Is intended.

[0009]

However, in the above-described conventional air-cooling type cool air device, the heat-radiating effect of the heat-generating portion of the Peltier element is poor, and the heat-absorbing performance of the Peltier element is not sufficiently exhibited. Therefore, there is a problem that a sufficient cold air effect cannot be obtained.

In the conventional water-cooling type cold air device, in order to increase the heat absorption capacity, the amount of cooling water to be injected is increased to cool the heat generating portion of the Peltier element more, or the number of Peltier units is increased. It is necessary to take measures such as As a result, there is a problem that the amount of cooling water used and the manufacturing cost increase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems of the prior art and to provide a local cold air device capable of reducing the manufacturing cost and having a high cold air effect.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, in a local cold air device of the present invention, (a) a thermoelectric element having a Peltier effect, and (b) cold air generated by the thermoelectric element A cold air fan that blows to the outside, (c) a cold storage member that is disposed in contact with the heat absorbing surface side of the thermoelectric element to perform a refrigerant action, and (d) when the device provided with the present device is not used, the thermoelectric device And a means for deenergizing the cold air fan, and energizing the thermoelectric element and the cold air fan during use.

Then, in order to further increase the heat absorption capacity,
It is preferable to have a heat absorbing member that is arranged in contact with the cold storage member and that is arranged in the air flow path of the cold air fan.

Further, in order to automatically operate the device, there is a human body detecting means for detecting whether or not a person is using the device provided with the device, and the output signal of the human body detecting means is It is preferable that the cold air fan is controlled according to a detection signal input to the control unit and output from the human body detection unit.

Further, the control means controls the thermoelectric element by:
It is preferable that the device provided with the device is continuously energized during a period of low use frequency and the device provided with the device is intermittently energized at a predetermined period.

[0016]

The local cold air device according to the present invention is preferably installed and used, for example, on a toilet seat or bed of a toilet. According to the present invention, the regenerator member is disposed in contact with the thermoelectric element, and the control unit energizes the thermoelectric element and deenergizes the cold air fan when the toilet or the like is not used. As a result, since the operation of the cold air fan is stopped, the cold storage member retains a low temperature. Then, when the toilet or the like is used, the thermoelectric element and the cold air fan are energized. As a result, the cool air generated by the cool storage member is blown, so that comfortable cool air can be received.

The present invention is based on the constitution described in claim 1. Further, it is necessary to dispose a heat absorbing member, for example, a heat absorbing fin, in contact with the cool storage member of the cool storage member. It is preferable for improving the endothermic effect.

Further, according to the present invention, since the human body detecting means is provided and the cold air fan is automatically controlled by the human body detecting means, it is possible to avoid forgetting the input operation of the cold storage operation when the toilet or the like is not used. It Then, during the daytime, the thermoelectric element is turned on and off in a cycle such that the cold air generated by the cold storage member is not eliminated, so that the power consumption is reduced and the low temperature of the cold storage member is maintained.

[0019]

【Example】

First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet seat provided with a local cool air device according to the present invention. In the figure, a toilet seat 1 has a lid portion 2, and local cool air devices 3 for sending cold air from the waist to the crotch when a person sits down on the toilet seat 1 are arranged on both sides of the toilet seat 1.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the local cold air device 3. In the figure, a radiator 5 is disposed in contact with the heat dissipation surface side of the Peltier element 4, a cooling space 6 for allowing cooling water to pass is provided inside the radiator 5, and the cooling water dissipates heat of the Peltier element 4. Is cooled. A heat storage member 7 is disposed in contact with the heat absorption surface side of the Peltier element 4, and a heat absorption fin 8 is disposed in contact with the heat storage member 7.

A cold air fan 9 is installed in the local cold air device 3, and the device 3 is provided with a suction port 10 and an air outlet 11 for the outside air. Suction port 1 by cold air fan 9
The outside air is sucked in from 0, and the cold air generated by the cold storage member 7 is blown from the outlet 11 as cold air through the heat absorbing fins 8. A louver 11a is formed at the outlet 11 to freely change the wind direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control means 12 is provided in the apparatus 3, and the control means 12 controls the Peltier element 4 and the cold air fan 9 which will be described later.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the local cool air device 3 is provided with a human body detecting means 13 having a seating sensor. The human body detecting means 13 is preferably configured as follows. That is, a light emitting element (not shown) is arranged as a seating sensor in one local cool air device 3 and the other device 3
Similarly, a light receiving element (not shown) is arranged as a seating sensor, and when a person sits down on the toilet seat 1, the light is blocked and the seating is detected. Other than this, an ultrasonic sensor, a pyroelectric infrared sensor, or the like may be used. Further, the seating sensor may be a piezoelectric type in which the human body detecting means 13 is installed in the lower part of the toilet seat 1 and a switch is turned on by the pressure when sitting, or a mechanical switch in which a contact piece is in contact.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the control means in the present invention. The control means 12 receives the output signal of the human body detection means 13 as an input and outputs a signal to the cold air fan 9 and the Peltier element 4. The control unit 12 is composed of a timer unit 12a and a driving unit 12b. Timer means 12a
May be configured by an analog circuit including a timer circuit or a digital circuit, or may be operated based on a program created by a microcomputer. Drive unit 13
b is composed of a semiconductor such as a transistor and amplifies an input signal and outputs electric power necessary for operation.

It is preferable that the Peltier element 4 is formed by connecting one set of P-type and N-type semiconductors having high thermoelectric cooling efficiency, or connecting a plurality of sets in series or in parallel. As the cold storage member 7, a general cold storage agent made of ethylene glycol is preferable, and a cold storage means made of ice having a high heat of melting is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the cold storage efficiency. The heat absorbing fins 8 are preferably formed by aluminum or die casting.

Further, the arrangement of each member inside the local cool air unit 3 in this embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described. In the present invention, the cool storage member 7 having a high cool storage efficiency is arranged between the Peltier element 4 and the heat absorbing fins 8, and the cool air generated by the cool storage member 7 is held by the control means 12 to send cold air.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the present invention. In the figure, at night, for example, from 0:00 am to 6:00 am, the Peltier element 4 is energized and the cold air fan 9 is de-energized to keep the cold storage member 7 at a low temperature. When it is necessary to use this device even at night, it is preferable to operate the cool air fan 9 as described later.

Then, except for the above time period, the Peltier element 4 is turned on / off by the timer means 12a of the control means 12 in a predetermined cycle. On the other hand, the cold air fan 9 is operated when the output signal of the human body detecting means 13 is turned on. The on / off cycle of the timer means 12a needs to be determined so that the cool storage member 7 can maintain a low temperature.

Further, in order to prevent malfunction of the seating sensor, as shown in FIG. 4, the cool air fan 9 is operated after the time T1 after the human body detecting means 13 is turned on, and the human body detecting means 13 is turned off. Cold air fan 9 after time T2
It is preferable to stop the operation of. Note that it is desirable that the times T1 and T2 be appropriately set to values having a malfunction prevention effect.

As described above, the local cool air apparatus according to the present embodiment has the cool storage member, keeps the cool storage member at a sufficiently low temperature during the night when the toilet is not used, and operates at times other than night. In the above, the low temperature of the cold storage member is maintained by performing the timer control. And, the cool air is sent only when the seating sensor detects the use. Therefore, the user of this device can always receive the cool air cooled by the cool storage member.

In the above embodiment, the Peltier element is continuously energized at night and the intermittent energization is performed at times other than night. On the contrary, the Peltier element is intermittently energized at night and at times other than night. Continuous energization may be performed during the time period. Particularly, in this case, it is suitable when the daytime temperature of the place where this device is installed is high, and it is preferable to apply when the low temperature of the cold storage member cannot be maintained by intermittent energization.

[0034]

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5: is a side view of the bed provided with the local cold wind device in this invention. In addition,
The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

The local cool air unit 3 in this embodiment is provided on the frame on the head side of the bed 14, and has a Peltier unit storage case 15 including a Peltier element and a storage case 15.
And a control means 16 for controlling energization to various means provided in the above, and the frame body of the local cool air device 3 includes:
An outside air inlet 10, a cool air outlet 11, and a radiant air vent 17 are provided.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic vertical sectional view of the local cold air device 3. In the figure, a radiation fin 20 is arranged in contact with the radiation surface side of the Peltier element 4, and a radiation fan 21 is arranged facing the radiation fin 20. Peltier element 4
The cool storage member 7 is arranged in contact with the heat absorbing surface side of the heat absorbing surface, and the heat absorbing fins 8 are arranged in contact with the heat storing member 7.

A cold air fan 9 is installed in the local cold air device 3, and a frame of the device 3 is provided with an outside air inlet 10, an outlet 11, and a ventilation hole 17. Outside air is sucked in through the suction port 10 by the cold air fan 9, and the cool storage member 7
The cold air generated by is blown from the outlet 11 as cold air through the heat absorbing fins 8.

As shown in FIG. 5, the local cold air device 3 is provided on the top plate 18 on the head side of the bed 14. The cool air generated by the local cool air device 3 is sent from the cool air suction port 11 toward the head of the person sleeping in the bed. At the bottom of the bed mattress 19, human body detection means 22 for detecting that a person is sleeping is provided. The human body detecting means 22 can use various switches such as mechanical switches, photoelectric switches, and piezoelectric switches as detection sensors.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the control means in the present invention. The control means 16 receives the output signal from the human body detection means 22 and outputs a control signal to the cold air fan 9 and the Peltier element 4.

The control means 16 is, for example, a drive means 16b.
The operation of the cold air fan 9 is controlled according to the output signal from the human body detecting means 22. When the signal output from the human body detecting means 22 is off, it is determined that the bed is not in use, and only the Peltier element 4 is activated. When the output signal of the detection means 22 is on, the bed is in use, so the Peltier element 4 and the cold air fan 9 are operated. The drive means 16b supplies the electric power necessary for operating the cold air fan 9 and the Peltier element 4.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, a cool storage member having a high cool storage efficiency is provided, and cool air is sent while the cool air generated by the cool storage member is held by the control means.
The control by the timer means shown in the first embodiment is not performed.

FIG. 8 shows a timing chart of the second embodiment. The Peltier element 4 is always operated to keep the cold storage member 7 at a low temperature. When the human body detecting means 22 is turned on and it is determined that the bed is in use, the cold air fan 9
To operate.

As a result, when the person sleeps on the bed, the cool air can be automatically received, and the cool storage member can be kept at a sufficiently low temperature to obtain the cool air, so that the person can sleep comfortably. As described above, since the cold storage member is used, the cold air can be maintained, and a high cold air effect can be obtained with a simple structure.

Also in the second embodiment, the Peltier element may be operated by the timer means as in the first embodiment, and the power consumption can be reduced by the on / off operation of the timer means. . The cooling of the heat radiation portion of the Peltier element in the first and second embodiments may be natural air cooling by eliminating forced air cooling by a fan or the like.

[0045]

As described above, in the local cool air apparatus of the present invention, the thermoelectric element is disposed in contact with the cold storage member,
The cool storage member is kept at a sufficiently low temperature when the toilet or the like is not used, and cool air is blown by the cool air fan during use. For this reason,
It is possible to provide a local cold air device that can receive cold air at the same time as it is used and has a high cold air effect. Further, since the cold air effect is high, a large number of expensive thermoelectric elements are not required, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

By disposing the heat absorbing member in contact with the cool storage member, the heat absorbing effect of the cool storage member is further enhanced, the heat conversion efficiency is improved, and the heat radiating member such as a fan can be made small, and a small local cool air unit can be provided. Can be provided.

Further, in the present invention, the human body detecting means is provided, and the cold storage and the blowing are automatically performed based on the output signal of the human body detecting means. Therefore, it is possible to avoid erroneous switch operation and always receive cool air that has been stored.

Further, in the present invention, since the thermoelectric element is intermittently energized during a high use frequency of the device provided with the present device, it is possible to reduce power consumption.
Further, since the thermoelectric element is continuously energized during a time period in which the device provided with this device is infrequently used, it is possible to perform sufficient cold storage at an inexpensive power charge when this time is nighttime.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet seat showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the local cold air device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control means in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a bed showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a local cold air device of a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of control means in the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart in the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory diagram of a Peltier element.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a first conventional example.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Local Cooling Air Device 4 Peltier Element (Thermoelectric Element) 5 Radiator 6 Cooling Space 7 Cooling Member 8 Endothermic Fin (Endothermic Member) 9 Blower Fan 12, 16 Control Means 13, 22 Human Body Detection Means 15 Peltier Unit Storage Case 20 Radiating Fins

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A thermoelectric element having (a) a Peltier effect, (b) a cold air fan for blowing cold air generated by the thermoelectric element to the outside of the device, and (c) being in contact with the heat absorbing surface side of the thermoelectric element. A cool storage member arranged to perform a refrigerant action, and (d) when the device provided with this device is not used, the thermoelectric element is energized and the cold air fan is de-energized,
A local cold air device comprising: the thermoelectric element and a control means for energizing the cold air fan when in use. 2. The local cold wind device according to claim 1, further comprising a heat absorbing member which is arranged in contact with the cold storage member and is arranged in a wind flow path of the cold wind fan. 3. A human body detecting means for detecting whether or not a person is using the apparatus provided with this device, and an output signal of the human body detecting means is input to the control means, and the human body detecting means. The local cold air device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cold air fan is controlled in accordance with a detection signal output from the device. 4. The control means continuously energizes the thermoelectric element during periods of low use frequency of the device provided with the device, and during continuous use of the device provided with the device of high frequency. The local cool air device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is intermittently energized at a predetermined cycle.