JPH10300621A - Leak detection method of thermoelectric heat exchanger block with built-in thermoelectric member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the existence inspection of a leak in a thermoelectric heat exchanger block easily possible. SOLUTION: A pressure fluid is filled from the outside between bisected shell members 53, 54 through a through hole 201 provided within either of the bisected shell members 53, 54, between inner seal parts S1, S2 for sealing the space between the shell members 53, 54 and the heating surfaces 80, 81 each of a thermoelectric member 5 in the circumference of the formation part of a heating medium passage cavities 7, 8 and an outer seal part 88 for sealing the gap between the bisected shell members 53, 54, of the outer circumference thereof, the existence of a leak in the inner seal part S1, S2 and the outer seal part S3 is inspected at the first inspection from the state of the filled pressure fluid, and the through hole 201 is sealed after the inspection.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for inspecting leakage of a thermoelectric heat exchange block containing a thermoelectric member such as a Peltier element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the ozone layer destruction effect of Freon gas has become a global problem, and the development of a cooling device that does not use Freon gas has been urgently required. A refrigeration system using a thermoelectric member has attracted attention as one of the cooling devices that do not use Freon gas.

Here, the thermoelectric member is represented by a Peltier element, and is a modularized Peltier module.
Alternatively, it is known as a thermoelectric module. This thermoelectric module has two heat transfer surfaces, and has a function of heating one of the heat transfer surfaces to radiate heat by flowing an electric current, and cooling and absorbing the other heat transfer surface.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-504361 discloses a refrigeration system using a thermoelectric module. In this device, manifold members are applied to the heat transfer surfaces on the heat radiation side and the cooling side of the thermoelectric module, respectively, and a cavity having a plurality of maze-shaped and parallel passages through which a heat medium passes is formed between them. One thermoelectric heat exchange block is used. Each cavity on the heat radiation side and cooling side of this thermoelectric heat exchange block is connected to each closed circuit on the heat radiation side and cooling side constituted by a heat exchanger and a pump, respectively, and connects the heat transfer surface on the heat radiation side of the thermoelectric module. A circulation circuit on the heat radiation side including the cooling circuit and a circulation circuit on the cooling side including the cooling surface are formed, and a heat medium mainly composed of water is circulated in these circulation circuits. Then, the desired cooling is performed by the heat exchanger of the circulation circuit on the cooling side of the two circulation circuits.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) is a technique capable of performing practical cooling using a thermoelectric module. However, this prior art merely discloses a basic configuration of a cooling device, and in order to actually apply the present invention to an electric refrigerator, there are problems to be improved and problems to be newly solved. Piled up.

The present inventors have previously proposed a thermoelectric heat exchange block with improved productivity, maintenance and inspection, and component compatibility. Referring to FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention, this has at least two heat transfer surfaces, and one of the heat transfer surfaces is heated and the other heat transfer surface is cooled by passing an electric current. Two covering the thermoelectric module 5 and two heat transfer surfaces of the thermoelectric module 5 and forming heat medium passage cavities 7 and 8 having a manifold structure between the heat transfer surfaces to cover the thermoelectric module 5 from both sides; Split shell member 53,
The thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 having 54 is constituted.

When the heat exchange medium in the two cavities 7 and 8 leaks to the outside, the heat radiating function is impaired in the heat circulating circuit and the cooling function is impaired in the cooling circuit. Not only that, a short-circuit phenomenon between the electric components occurs but also the entire thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 is damaged. In some cases, a problem of electric leakage of the entire electric device such as an electric refrigerator employing the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 may be considered.

Therefore, heat medium passage cavities 7, 8 are provided between the shell members 53, 54 and the heat transfer surface of the thermoelectric module 5.
Seal portions S1 and S2 sealed by seal members 85 and 86 around the formation portion of
1, two shell members 53, 54 around the outer circumference of S2
Outer seal portion S for sealing the space with a seal member 87
3 is provided so as to prevent liquid leakage in the entire thermoelectric heat exchange block twice.

However, when the thermoelectric heat exchange block is assembled, the seal members 85, 86, and 87 may be forgotten to be mounted, or may be misaligned or damaged during assembly. Liquid leakage may occur due to the cause. Whether the double liquid leakage prevention is satisfactory or not cannot be easily determined from the appearance after assembly.

Therefore, it is important to inspect the presence or absence of leakage with high accuracy in the process of assembling the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 in terms of product and use safety.

The inspection for the presence or absence of leakage must be performed on the two inner seal portions S1 and S2 and the one outer seal portion S3. The inventors of the present invention inspect the inside seal portion S1 of the cavity 7 by injecting a pressurized fluid into the cavity 7 and check whether there is actually any leakage. It is checked whether there is actually any leakage by injecting the fluid, and pressure is applied to the outer seal portion S3 from the outside of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 to determine whether or not this pressure enters the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1. I look and inspect it.

However, in this case, it is necessary to perform the liquid leakage inspection three times for each thermoelectric heat exchange block 1, and a special device for applying pressure from outside the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 is required. Therefore, there is a problem that the inspection requires a lot of labor and equipment costs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a method for inspecting the leakage of a thermoelectric heat exchange block, which makes it easier to inspect the presence or absence of leakage.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 has two heat transfer surfaces, one of which is heated by flowing an electric current, and the other of which is heated. A thermoelectric member having a thermoelectric member whose heat transfer surface is cooled, and a split shell member that covers the thermoelectric member from both sides so as to form a heat medium passage cavity between the heat transfer surfaces. In order to check for leakage of the built-in thermoelectric heat exchange block, an inner seal portion for sealing a heat medium passage cavity around the formation portion between each shell member and each heat transfer surface of the thermoelectric member, and this inner seal Externally injecting pressurized fluid between the halved shell members through through holes provided in one of the halved shell members between an outer seal portion sealing between the halved shell members around the outer periphery of the portion. The state of this injected pressure fluid Checks for leakage of the inner sealing portion and the outer sealing portion by, after the test, and is characterized in that to seal the through hole.

In such a configuration, the pressure fluid is injected into the two inner sealing portions of the thermoelectric heat exchange block and the hermetically sealed space facing all the sealing portions of the one outer sealing portion. Even if there is a gap in the seal portion or a defective seal portion due to insufficient pressure bonding, the injected pressure fluid leaks. Therefore, by setting the injection pressure of the pressure fluid to match the required seal assurance pressure and checking whether or not the injected pressure fluid is leaking, it is possible to perform a single operation for the presence or absence of leakage at all the seal portions. Inspection can be performed easily and with high accuracy in a short time, and after inspection, a good product can be used simply by sealing the through hole. In addition, only by injecting the pressurized fluid, no special device is required and the equipment cost is reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a simple apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of a leak by maintaining a state in which a pressure fluid is injected for a predetermined time and checking whether the pressure of the injected pressure fluid is reduced during that time. In addition, the inspection can be performed reliably.

The sealing of the through-hole can be achieved by melting a portion of the shell member made of a resin material around the through-hole and flowing into the through-hole to solidify it. An adhesive is poured into the through-hole and solidified as in the invention of item 4, or a screw is screwed into the through-hole as in the invention of claim 5, and the sealing member is connected to the rim of the through-hole by the head of the screw. This can be achieved simply and reliably by crimping on the outer surface.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 of the present embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 1 is used for a thermoelectric module type electric refrigerator 30 as shown in FIG. 11, for example. The refrigerating system of the refrigerator 30 is as shown in FIG. 11, and a circulation circuit 2 on the heat radiation side and a circulation circuit on the cooling side via a thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as a thermoelectric heat exchange block 1) incorporating a thermoelectric module. 3 is provided. A heat medium mainly composed of water is circulated in the circulation circuits 2 and 3. It is desirable to add an antifreeze such as propylene glycol to the cooling circuit 3 in order to prevent freezing. As the heat medium, it is desirable to use one mainly composed of water from the viewpoint of a large specific heat, but of course, other liquids may be used.

The thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 incorporates a thermoelectric module 5 in which a Peltier element as one of the thermoelectric members is modularized. In the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1, two cavities 7, 8 are configured. The circulation circuit 2 on the heat radiation side includes a heat exchanger 10
And a pump 11 to form a closed circuit including the cavity 7 described above. Further, the circulation circuit 3 on the cooling side also has a heat exchanger 15 and a pump 16 like the heat radiation side, and forms a closed circuit including the cavity 8 described above. The cooling-side circulation circuit 3 is provided with a bypass pipe 17 from the downstream side of the heat exchanger 15 and is connected to a thermoelectric heat exchange block 18 for ice making. The radiating heat exchanger 10 and the cooling heat exchanger 15 of each of the circulation circuits 2 and 3 are blown by a radiating fan 21 and a cooling fan 22,
Cooling heat exchanger 15 blown by cooling fan 22
The cooling air exchanged with the cooling air is supplied into a refrigerator (not shown) of the electric refrigerator 30 to cool the object.

As shown in FIG. 7, the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 is constituted by connecting three thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50, 51 and 52 to form a thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 having a required capacity. There is no limitation, and one can be used, and a plurality other than three can be used.

The thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50 and 52 are the same. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a lower shell member 53, an upper shell member 54, and two turbulators 5 are provided.
5 and a thermoelectric module 5. However, the turbulator 55 is provided between the heat transfer surfaces 7 of the thermoelectric module 5 and the heat medium passage cavities 7 having the manifold structure.
8 for forming each of the shell members 53, 5
4 can be integrally formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower shell member 53 has an appearance in which two ridges are provided in parallel. The inside of the ridge is a hollow, and the hollow forms two rows of flow paths 57 and 58. That is, the flow paths 57 and 58 are provided on both sides inside the lower shell member 53 in parallel along the continuous direction of the blocks, and have a circular cross section. And the flow paths 57 and 58
Are formed continuously from one end to the other end of the block of the lower shell member 53 in the continuous direction. One end of each of the two flow paths 57 and 58 is closed,
The other end is continuous with the male pipe joint 60. Specifically, the flow path 57 on the right side in FIGS. 1 and 2 is continuous with the male fitting 60 on the back side in the drawing, and is closed on the near side. On the other hand, the flow path 58 on the left side in FIGS. 1 and 2 is closed on the back side in the drawing, and is connected to the male pipe joint 60 on the near side. That is, the closed side and the male fitting 60 are alternately arranged between the flow paths 57 and 58.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 7, and 8, the male pipe joint 60 is a protruding pipe, and an O-ring 61 is provided on the outer periphery near the distal end.

The channels 57 and 58 are connected by a wall 62 as shown in FIG. Flanges 63 are provided outside the flow channels 57 and 58. The wall part 62 forms the heat medium passage cavity 7 between the wall part 62 and the thermoelectric module 5, and is located at a position deeper than the flange part 63. The flange portion 63 is provided with four through holes 65 for screw insertion. In addition, the flange portion 63 of the lower shell member 53 is provided with two lead wire drawing holes 67 as shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper shell member 54 has substantially the same structure as that of the lower shell member 53 described above. Two rows of flow paths 70 and 71 are formed inside. One of the flow paths 70 and 71 is closed, and the other is provided with a male pipe joint 60 and communicates with the outside.

The flow passages 70 and 71 are connected by a wall 74, which is deeper than the flange 72. As shown in FIG. 2, the closed sides of the flow passages 70 and 71 and the male fitting 60 are connected to the upper shell member 54.
Are provided at alternate positions in a state of facing the lower shell member 53. A boss 64 is provided in the flange 72 of the upper shell member 54, and a screw hole 75 is provided in the boss 64. Male connecting portions 68 are provided at both ends of the upper shell member 54. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, the male connecting portion 68 is provided with a pin 171 provided on a plate protruding in parallel with the upper shell member 54. The upper shell member 54 has no portion corresponding to the lead wire drawing hole 67.

The lower shell member 53 and the upper shell member 54 are formed by a known method such as injection molding of a thermoplastic resin, but it should be noted that the lower shell member 53 and the upper shell member 54 are all transparent or translucent.

The material of the lower shell member 53 and the upper shell member 54 is not particularly limited as long as it is transparent or translucent. Polystyrene resin, ABS resin, methacrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, Polybutylene terephthalate resin, urea resin, melanin resin, chlorinated polyethylene resin, vinylidene chloride resin, acrylic vinyl chloride copolymer resin,
Polymethylpentene resin, polysulfone resin, polyvinylidene fluoride resin, MBS resin, methacryl styrene copolymer resin, polyarylate resin, polyallyl sulfone resin, polybutadiene resin, polyether sulfone resin, polyether ether ketone resin and others can be used. is there. Among them, it is desirable to employ a polyolefin resin.

The turbulator 55 has a plate shape as shown in FIG. 4, and has two legs 77 for positioning on one surface (the lower part in the drawing). On the other surface (the lower part of the drawing), there are provided a large number of walls 78 forming a manifold-structure flow path shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. The walls 78 are provided continuously from one end to the other end of the turbulator 55, and the walls 78 are parallel and equidistant. The wall 78 forms a parallel groove-shaped flow path 84. Further, in particular, the turbulator 55 employed in the present embodiment.
Is provided with an obstacle in the flow path 84.

The obstacles are, specifically, ridges 82 and baffle plates 79. The protruding ridge 82 is lower in height than the wall 78 described above, and extends continuously in the vertical direction with respect to the wall 78. In the present embodiment, the projections 82 are provided in two rows.

The baffle plate 79 has the same height as the wall 78 but is discontinuous. The baffle plate 79 does not completely block the flow path 84, and there is a gap in the width direction of the flow path 84. Only one baffle plate 79 is provided on a certain wall 78 at the center in the longitudinal direction, and two walls 78 are provided on the wall 78 adjacent to the wall 78 from the end. Therefore, the baffle plates 79 are provided in a staggered manner with respect to the groove-shaped flow path 84. Further, the above-mentioned ridges 82 are located at portions between the baffle plates 79.

The turbulator 55 is molded by a known method such as injection molding of a thermoplastic resin, and the molding method is not specified. In the present embodiment, the turbulator 55 is also composed of the lower shell member 53 and the upper shell member 53. Like the member 54, it is transparent or translucent. As the material of the turbulator 55, the same material as the lower shell member 53 and the upper shell member 54 can be adopted, and it is particularly preferable to employ a transparent or translucent polyolefin resin.

The thermoelectric module 5 uses a known Peltier element, and is provided with a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor side by side. The outer shape of the thermoelectric module 5 is plate-shaped, and both surfaces thereof function as heat transfer surfaces 80 and 81.

Next, the assembly structure of the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50 and 51 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the turbulator 55 includes a lower shell member 53, a lower shell member 54, and a wall portion 6 of the upper shell member 54.
2, 74, the leg 77 is fitted to the side surface of the flow path 57, 58 or the flow path 70, 71. Turbulator 5
The fifth wall 78 extends in a direction perpendicular to the flow paths 70 and 71. Therefore, the flow paths 70 and 71 are connected over the entire area by the groove-shaped flow path formed by the wall 78. The wall 78 of the turbulator 55 is in contact with the heat transfer surface 80 or 81 of the thermoelectric module 5. Therefore, the heat medium passage cavities 7 and 8 are formed between the surface of the turbulator 55 and the heat transfer surfaces 80 and 81 of the thermoelectric module 5.

In detail, as described above, the heat transfer surface 80 or 81 of the thermoelectric module 5 and the shell 5
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, annular seal members 85 and 86 are interposed between the inner seal portions S1 and S3.
2 to prevent the heat medium from leaking from the heat medium passage cavities 7 and 8 to the outside. Another annular seal member 87 is interposed between the lower shell member 53 and the upper shell member 54 outside the inner seal portions S1 and S2 formed by the seal members 85 and 86, so that the outer seal portion is formed. S3 is configured to prevent the heat medium from leaking from the entire thermoelectric heat exchange block 1.
That is, in the present embodiment, the liquid seal is formed by the sealing members 85 and 86.
And the sealing member 87 is performed in a double manner.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thermoelectric module 5
Lead wire 90 is a single wire, and the lead wire drawing hole 67
From the outside. Lead wire outlet hole 67
Is provided with a step portion from the inside of the lower shell member 53 to the outside, and the inside diameter of the lower shell member 53 on the inside side is large, and the inside diameter of the portion penetrating outside is small.

A seal member 92 made of an elastic material such as rubber is inserted into a portion having a large inner diameter inside the lead wire drawing hole 67. The elastic seal member 92 has a cylindrical shape, and has a through hole 93 at the center. The outer diameter of the seal member 92 is equal to the lead wire drawing hole 67 in the natural state.
Is approximately equal to the inside diameter of The inner diameter of the through hole 93 of the seal member 92 is smaller than that of the lead wire 90. The lead wire 90 is pushed into the through hole 93 after the sealing member 92 is inserted into the lead wire drawing hole 67 as shown in FIG. As a result, the elastic seal member 92 expands in diameter and has a compressive stress therein to compress the lead wire lead-out hole 67 and come into close contact with the inside thereof. Also, the space between the elastic seal member 92 and the lead wire 90 is closely contacted in a compressed state.

Next, another thermoelectric heat exchange block 51 will be described. The structure is basically the same as that of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 50 described above, and only the differences will be described.

The aforementioned thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50, 52
The male-type pipe joint 60 and the connecting part 68 were both male-type, while the thermoelectric heat exchange block 51 in the middle part was female-type as shown in FIGS. is there.

That is, the thermoelectric heat exchange block 51 in the middle part
A female pipe joint 98 projects from the lower shell member 53 and the upper shell member 54. Female pipe joint 9
8 is a tubular shape as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10, and has an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the male fitting 60 of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 51 described above. Thermoelectric heat exchange block 51
The female connecting portion 100 is provided on the shell member 53 at the lower portion of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the female connecting portion 100 is a plate portion 101 protruding in parallel with the lower shell member 53.
Is provided with a hole 102.

Next, the connection state of the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50, 51, 52 of the present embodiment and the relationship with other members will be described. Thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50, 51, 52
Are connected in series as described above. More specifically, between the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50 and 51, and between the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 51 and 52, the pins 171 of the male connecting portion 68 fit into the holes 102 of the female connecting portion 100, The electric heat exchange blocks 50, 51, 52 are integrated. Further, between the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 51 and 52 and between the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 51 and 52, the male pipe joint portion 60 and the female pipe joint portion 98 are fitted, and the lower portions of the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50, 51, 52 are fitted. The heat medium passage cavities 7 formed by the shell members 53 are connected in series. Furthermore, the shell member 54 on the upper part of the thermoelectric heat exchange blocks 50, 51, 52
Are similarly connected in series.

The male pipe joint 60 of the lower shell member 53 of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 50 and the male pipe joint 60 of the lower shell member 53 of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 52 are connected to the circulation circuit 2 on the heat radiation side. Connected to. The male pipe joint 60 of the shell member 54 on the upper part of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 50
And the male pipe joint 60 of the shell member 54 on the upper part of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 52 are connected to the circulation circuit 3 on the cooling side.

Therefore, in the cooling circuit 3, the heat medium is supplied from the male pipe joint 60 of the shell member 54 above the thermoelectric heat exchange block 51 to the right side in the thermoelectric heat exchange block 51, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 7. And flows into the left flow path 71 through the space between the surface of the turbulator 55 of the heat medium passage cavity 7 and the heat transfer surface 81 of the thermoelectric module 5. In the present embodiment, the turbulator 55 is formed with the groove-like flow path 84, and the flow path is provided with obstacles such as the ridges 82 and the baffle plates 79, so that the heat medium hits these obstacles. At the same time, it is blocked by the groove-shaped flow path and loses its escape in the width direction, so that a flow is generated in the direction directly contacting the thermoelectric module 5. Therefore, the heat medium strikes the heat transfer surface 81 of the thermoelectric module 5 in the vertical direction, and heat exchange is performed efficiently.

The heat medium flowing from the turbulator 55 to the left flow path 71 flows from the male pipe joint 60 to the outside of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 50,
From the female pipe joint part 98 into the flow path 71 on the left side of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 51. After that, it is the same as above,
It flows into the right flow path 70 through the heat medium passage cavity 8 and exits from the female pipe joint portion 98 to the outside. Then, it flows into the thermoelectric heat exchange block 52 from the female pipe joint part 98 of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 51 to the right flow path 70 and the left flow path 71 sequentially, and exits from the female pipe joint part 98 to the outside. In addition,
The same applies to the circulation circuit 2 on the heat radiation side, and a specific description is omitted.

Here, in the refrigerator 30 of the present embodiment, since the lower shell member 53, the upper shell member 54 and the turbulator 55 are transparent or translucent, the heat transfer surfaces 80 and 81 of the thermoelectric module 5 are directly You can see it.
Therefore, the state of the flow of the heat medium can be easily understood from the outside, and it is possible to determine at a glance whether air is mixed in or the foreign matter is clogged. Also, forgetting to attach the seal members 85, 86, 87 can be recognized by the appearance inspection.

However, the seal members 85, 86, 87 and the seal members 85, 86, 8 of the upper and lower shell members 53, 54 are provided.
It is not possible to discriminate a slight gap between the seal members 85, 86, and 87 in a portion where the 7 is fitted, a minute gap caused by a scratch or the like during the assembling process, and a leak in a portion where the pressure is insufficient.

In order to deal with this, in the present embodiment, in order to inspect the leak of the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1, each of the shell members 53 and 54 and each of the heat transfer surfaces 80 of the thermoelectric module 5 as shown in FIG. , 81 between the heat medium passage cavities 7, 8
One of the split shell members 53, 54 is provided between an inner seal portion S1, S2 for sealing around and an outer seal portion S3 for sealing between the two shell members 53, 54 around the outer periphery. Through through hole 201
A pressurized fluid is injected between the split shell members 53 and 54 from the outside, and the state of the injected pressurized fluid is checked for leakage of the inner seal portions S1, S2 and the outer seal portion S3. Is sealed.

For this inspection, a pressurized fluid source 202 is connected to the through-hole 201 by a pipe line 203, and a pressure injection state is maintained by closing a valve 204 provided in the middle of the pipe line 203. The pressure state of the pressure fluid can be determined by a pressure meter 205 connected to the conduit 203.

The pressure fluid is injected into all of the two inner seal portions S1, S2 and the one outer seal portion S3 between the upper and lower shell members 53, 54 constituting the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1. It is a closed space facing the seal portion of FIG. Even if any of the seal portions S1, S2, and S3 has a defective seal due to misalignment, a gap, insufficient compression, etc., the injected pressure fluid leaks. Therefore,
By setting the injection pressure of the pressure fluid to match the required seal assurance pressure and checking whether the injected pressure fluid is leaking, all the seal portions S1, S2, S3
It is possible to easily and quickly inspect the presence or absence of leakage in a single operation with a single operation, and after inspection, a good product can be used simply by sealing the through hole. In addition, only by injecting the pressurized fluid, no special device is required and the equipment cost is reduced.

In particular, as in the present embodiment, the state in which the pressure fluid is injected is maintained for a predetermined time by closing the valve 204 or the like, and whether or not the pressure of the injected pressure fluid decreases during that time is determined by, for example, the pressure meter 205. If the inspection is performed by using the simple device, the inspection can be performed with a simple device and reliably. In addition, even if there is a leak, there is no effect on the other, and it is possible to use the cost-free air as the pressure fluid, which is advantageous.

However, the present invention is not limited to this. If liquid, colored liquid, or air is used, the leakage of the fluid can pass through the transparent shell members 53 and 54 and the turbulator 55, and the thermoelectric heat exchange block 1 can be used. The determination can also be made directly visually outside.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6A, the through-hole is sealed by a portion 201 formed around the through-hole 201 of the shell members 53 and 54 made of a resin material, for example, at a convex portion.
a is melted and poured into the through-hole 201 to be solidified, or as shown in FIG. 6B, a thermosetting adhesive 206 is poured into the through-hole 201 and solidified, or As shown in FIG. 6C, the screw 207 is screwed into the through-hole 201, and the ring-shaped sealing member 208 is pressed against the outer surface of the rim of the through-hole 201 with the head of the screw. can do.

The through-hole 201 shown in FIG. 2 is not sealed before the inspection, but the through-hole 201 shown in FIG. 7 is sealed after the inspection.

[0054]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the presence or absence of all leaks at a plurality of seal portions can be inspected easily and quickly with a single operation with high accuracy. Can be used simply by sealing the through hole. In addition, only by injecting the pressurized fluid, no special device is required and the equipment cost is reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage that the inspection can be performed with a simple apparatus and surely, and air which has no influence and does not require cost can be used as the pressure fluid.

Further, sealing of the through hole can be easily performed as in any one of the third to fifth aspects of the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric heat exchange block showing a leak inspection state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the thermoelectric heat exchange block of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a turbulator used in the thermoelectric heat exchange block of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the turbulator of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of sealing a through hole after a leak test of the thermoelectric heat exchange block of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explanation in a use state in which a plurality of thermoelectric heat exchange blocks of FIG. 1 are connected.

8 is a plan view showing an internal structure in a state where a plurality of thermoelectric heat exchange blocks of FIG. 7 are connected.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a connection structure of the thermoelectric heat exchange block of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a flow path connection state of the thermoelectric heat exchange block of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a refrigeration cycle of a heat transfer module type electric refrigerator using the thermoelectric heat exchange block of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 thermoelectric heat exchange block 5 thermoelectric module 7, 8 cavity 50, 51, 52 thermoelectric heat exchange block 53 lower shell member 54 upper shell member 55 turbulator 80, 81 heat transfer surface 85, 86 seal member 87 seal member 201 through hole 201a portion 202 pressure fluid source 203 conduit 204 valve 205 pressure meter 206 adhesive 207 screw 208 seal member S1, S2 inner seal portion S3 outer seal portion

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Osamu Nakagawa 4-5-2-5 Takaida Hondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Inside Matsushita Refrigerating Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Hiroaki Kitagawa 4-5-2-5 Takaida Hondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture No. Matsushita Refrigeration Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Munema Maeda 4-2-5 Takaida Hondori, Higashi Osaka City, Osaka Pref.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A thermoelectric member having two heat transfer surfaces and having one heat transfer surface heated and the other heat transfer surface cooled by passing an electric current, and connecting the thermoelectric member to each of the heat transfer surfaces. A shell member that is split from two sides so as to form a heat medium passage cavity between the shell members, and a thermoelectric heat exchange block having a built-in thermoelectric member. Split between an inner seal portion that seals around the heat transfer medium forming cavity between the heat transfer surface and an outer seal portion that seals between two shell members around the outer periphery of the inner seal portion. A pressure fluid is externally injected between the split shell members through a through hole provided in one of the shell members, and the state of the injected pressure fluid is inspected for leakage of the inner seal portion and the outer seal portion. rear Leak test method for a thermoelectric heat exchanger block with a built-in thermoelectric element, characterized in that to seal the through hole. 2. The thermoelectric member with a built-in thermoelectric member according to claim 1, wherein the presence or absence of a leak is checked by maintaining a state in which the pressure fluid is injected for a predetermined time and checking whether the pressure of the injected pressure fluid decreases during that time. Leak test method for electric heat exchange block. 3. The sealing according to claim 1, wherein the sealing of the through hole is performed by melting a portion of the shell member made of a resin material around the through hole, flowing into the through hole, and solidifying. A method for inspecting a thermoelectric heat exchange block incorporating the thermoelectric member according to item 1. 4. The method for inspecting leakage of a thermoelectric heat exchange block incorporating a thermoelectric member according to claim 1, wherein the sealing of the through hole is performed by pouring and solidifying an adhesive into the through hole. . 5. The sealing according to claim 1, wherein the sealing of the through hole is performed by screwing a screw into the through hole and pressing the sealing member against the outer surface of the rim of the through hole with the head of the screw. A method for inspecting leakage of a thermoelectric heat exchange block incorporating a thermoelectric member.