KR102395235B1 - Thermoelectric module for pets, pet carrier comprising the thermoelectric module, and control methods thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A carrier for animals is disclosed. The carrier includes a body for accommodating an animal, a fixing part provided on the bottom surface of the body, and a thermoelectric element pad detachable from the fixing part. The thermoelectric element pad includes at least one thermoelectric element, a battery, and a switch for connecting the at least one thermoelectric element and the battery in a cooling or heating mode, and connecting the battery to at least one electronic component provided in the body in a battery use mode include Accordingly, it is possible to increase the utility of the thermoelectric element pad while providing an effect of cooling and heating to the animal carrier.

Description

Thermoelectric pad for animals, carrier for animals using same, and control method thereof { Thermoelectric module for pets, pet carrier comprising the thermoelectric module, and control methods thereof}

The present invention relates to a thermoelectric element pad providing cold or warmth for animals, a carrier for animals using the same, and a method for controlling the same.

As interest in pets grows, various animal products are being developed and distributed. One of them is an animal carrier that is used to transport pets. The animal carrier may include a hard carrier made of a hard material such as plastic or iron, and a soft carrier made of a cloth or leather material. An animal carrier can be used to travel with the animal or to send it away. For safe transport, animal carriers are generally closed except for holes through which air can pass. Therefore, since the air circulation is not good, there is a disadvantage that the internal temperature rises a lot on a hot summer day. In the case of hairy animals, there is a risk of death if the internal temperature rises significantly.

In addition, when transporting by aircraft, etc., there are cases where the animal carrier is loaded in the cargo compartment, and it is common that the cargo compartment does not have a separate heating and cooling facility. Therefore, there is a risk that animals may die from cold or heat.

Accordingly, there is a need for a technology capable of providing cold air or warmth for animals in an animal carrier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in accordance with the above-described needs, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric element pad for providing cold or warmth for animals, a carrier for animals using the same, and a method for controlling the same.

According to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, an animal carrier is a body for accommodating an animal. and a fixing part provided on the bottom surface of the body and a thermoelectric element pad detachable from the fixing part.

Here, the thermoelectric element pad connects at least one thermoelectric element, a battery, and the at least one thermoelectric element and the battery in a cooling or heating mode, and connects the battery to the at least one battery provided in the body in a battery use mode. Includes a switch that connects to an electronic component.

The animal carrier may further include a control unit electrically connected to the switch of the thermoelectric element pad when the thermoelectric element pad is mounted on the fixing unit, and an operation panel for controlling an operation of the thermoelectric element pad.

The control unit may apply an electric signal of a first polarity to the at least one thermoelectric element when the cooling mode is selected through the manipulation panel, and apply an electric signal of a first polarity to the at least one thermoelectric element when the heating mode is selected through the manipulation panel applies an electrical signal of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to The switch may be controlled to connect the battery and the battery.

Alternatively, it may further include a communication unit for performing communication with the mobile device.

Here, the communication unit communicates with the mobile device when the thermoelectric element pad is mounted on the fixing unit, and when a control signal for determining a mode of the thermoelectric element pad is received from the mobile device, the control signal is switched to the switch It can also be passed to

Here, the thermoelectric element pad may include a case including an upper plate for transferring cold air or heat generated from the at least one thermoelectric element, a heat dissipation member for dissipating heat by contacting the at least one thermoelectric element within the case, At least one fan disposed to dissipate the heat in the direction of the lower plate provided on the opposite side of the upper plate at a position adjacent to the heat dissipation member, and a motor for rotating the at least one fan.

Alternatively, a plurality of wheels provided on the lower side of the body and a handle protruding from the body may be further included.

Alternatively, it is formed on the outer side of the body and further includes a connection part that can be coupled to a carrier handle, wherein the thermoelectric element pad includes a case including an upper plate for transmitting cold or hot air generated from the at least one thermoelectric element; A heat dissipation member for dissipating heat in contact with the at least one thermoelectric element within the case, at least one fan for dissipating internal heat of the case in a lateral direction of the case, and a motor for rotating the at least one fan may include

In addition, the thermoelectric element pad includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements dispersedly arranged in the case, and the switch is a first first to turn on the plurality of thermoelectric elements sequentially for a predetermined time under the cooling mode or the heating mode. mode, a second mode for sequentially turning on for a predetermined time for each pair of oppositely arranged thermoelectric elements among the plurality of thermoelectric elements, and a third mode for repeatedly performing an operation of turning on the plurality of thermoelectric elements at once and turning them off after a predetermined time mode, and a fourth mode in which all of the plurality of thermoelectric elements are turned on.

In addition, when at least one electronic component provided in the body is connected to the battery, it is activated by electric energy supplied from the battery, and the at least one electronic component includes a GPS chip, a light emitting diode, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, It may include at least one of a display, a speaker, a CPU, and a memory.

In addition, the body is a soft case in which at least a portion of a side portion and an upper end excluding the bottom surface is made of a soft material, the fixing portion is in the form of a pocket capable of accommodating the thermoelectric element pad, and the fixing portion is the thermoelectric element pad. and a connector capable of being connected to an electrode by wire, wherein the at least one electronic component is embedded in the soft case to be electrically connected to the connector.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a method for controlling an animal carrier, when a thermoelectric element pad including at least one thermoelectric element and a battery is mounted on the bottom surface of the animal carrier, providing a UI for mode selection Step, when a cooling or heating mode is selected on the UI, the electric energy of the battery is supplied to the at least one thermoelectric element, and when a battery use mode is selected on the UI, the electric energy of the battery is supplied to the body of the animal carrier and controlling the thermoelectric element pad to be supplied to the provided at least one electronic component.

Here, the providing of the UI may include displaying the UI on a manipulation panel provided on the body of the animal carrier.

In addition, the providing of the UI may include displaying the UI on a mobile device in which an application for controlling the animal carrier is installed.

The thermoelectric element pad according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to a case in a form detachable from one side of the animal carrier, at least one thermoelectric element built into the case, a battery, and a connector provided in the case. port and a switch for connecting the at least one thermoelectric element and the battery in a cooling or heating mode, and connecting the battery to the port in a battery use mode.

In addition, a heat dissipation member for dissipating heat in contact with the at least one thermoelectric element within the case, at least one fan disposed to dissipate the heat from a position adjacent to the heat dissipation member toward a lower plate of the case, and the at least one It may further include a motor for rotating the fan.

Alternatively, a heat dissipation member for dissipating heat in contact with the at least one thermoelectric element in the case, at least one fan for dissipating internal heat of the case in a lateral direction of the case, and rotating the at least one fan It may further include a motor for.

According to various embodiments as described above, the user can safely transport the animal accommodated in the animal carrier without difficulty due to heat or cold. In addition, since various functions can be used in addition to the heating/cooling function, user convenience is greatly improved.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a carrier for animals according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a thermoelectric element pad according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a view showing an example of the configuration of a carrier for animals performing communication with an external mobile device;
4 is a view for explaining a method of coupling the thermoelectric element pad to a fixing part provided on the bottom surface of the animal carrier;
5 is a view showing an example of an internal configuration of a thermoelectric element pad;
6 is a view showing an example of a case structure of a thermoelectric element pad;
7 is a view showing another example of the external configuration of the carrier for animals;
8 is a view showing another example of a carrier for animals that can be combined with a general carrier;
9 is a view showing another example of the internal configuration of the thermoelectric element pad;
10 is a view showing another example of the case structure of the thermoelectric element pad;
11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI configuration for controlling the operation of an animal carrier using a mobile device;
12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a carrier for animals provided with an operation panel;
13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a carrier for animals according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Transmission or transmission referred to in this specification may mean transmission of data, information, or signals, and encryption/decryption may be applied as necessary.

In addition, in the present specification, expressions such as "transfer from A to B (transfer)" or "A receives from B" include transmission (transmission) or reception with another medium included in the middle, and must be sent from A It does not represent only direct transmission (delivery) or reception to B. In addition, each of the devices shown and mentioned herein may be implemented as devices independent of each other, but is not necessarily limited thereto and may be implemented with several components included in one device.

In the description of the present invention, the order of each step should be understood as non-limiting unless the preceding step must be logically and temporally performed before the subsequent step. That is, except for the above exceptional cases, even if the process described as a subsequent step is performed before the process described as the preceding step, the essence of the invention is not affected, and the scope of rights should also be defined regardless of the order of the steps.

And, in the present specification, "A or B" is defined as meaning not only selectively pointing to any one of A and B, but also including both A and B. In addition, in the present specification, the term "comprising" has the meaning of encompassing the inclusion of other components in addition to the elements listed as being included.

In this specification, only essential components necessary for the description of the present invention are described, and components not related to the essence of the present invention are not mentioned. And it should not be construed in an exclusive meaning including only the mentioned components, but should be interpreted in a non-exclusive meaning that may also include other components.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing an example of a carrier for animals according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 , the animal carrier 200 includes a body 210 in which an openable and openable door 220 is formed. A fixing part 240 is formed on the bottom surface 230 of the body 210 . The fixing part 240 serves to fix the thermoelectric element pad 100 to the body 210 when it is mounted. The thermoelectric element pad 100 may be conveniently mounted or detached by a user.

The thermoelectric element pad 100 is a component for providing cold air or warmth to the animal carrier 200 . The thermoelectric element pad 100 is an independent module including at least one or more thermoelectric elements, and may alternatively be referred to as a thermoelectric module.

The thermoelectric element pad 100 may operate in a cooling or heating mode according to a user manipulation.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the thermoelectric element pad 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 2 , the thermoelectric element pad 100 includes a thermoelectric element 110 , a battery 120 , a switch 130 , and a port 140 .

The thermoelectric element 100 is a device in which P-type and N-type thermoelectric semiconductors are alternately disposed between two conductive pads, and pads such as ceramics are disposed on both sides of the conductive pad. Various materials such as silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) may be used as the P-type and N-type thermoelectric semiconductors, but are not necessarily limited thereto.

When a current flows from the N-type terminal to the P-type terminal of the thermoelectric element 100 , an endothermic reaction occurs at the first pad due to the Peltier effect, and an exothermic reaction occurs at the opposite side of the second pad. When current flows in opposite polarities, an endothermic reaction occurs in the second pad and an exothermic reaction occurs in the first pad. That is, by adjusting the polarity of the electric signal applied to the thermoelectric element 100 , cold air or heat may be provided.

The battery 120 is a component for charging electric energy and providing it to the thermoelectric element 100 and other components. The battery 120 may be implemented as a rechargeable battery capable of charging and discharging.

The switch 130 is a component for switching an electrical connection between the battery 120 and the thermoelectric element 100 or the port 140 . In FIG. 2 , only one connection line between the thermoelectric element 110 , the battery 120 , the switch 130 , and the port 140 is illustrated for convenience of explanation, but a plurality of connection lines may be implemented.

The switch 130 connects the thermoelectric element 100 and the battery 120 in the cooling mode or the heating mode, and connects the battery 120 to the port 140 in the non-cooling mode. A case other than the heating/cooling mode is referred to as a battery use mode in the present specification for convenience of description, but may also be referred to as an off mode or a general mode.

When the thermoelectric pad 100 of FIG. 2 is connected to the animal carrier 200 as shown in FIG. 1 , when the switch 130 connects the battery 120 to the port 140 , it is electrically connected to the port 140 . Electronic components in the body 210 may receive electrical signals from the battery 120 . Accordingly, the electronic components may be turned on and activated.

The switch 130 may be controlled in various ways according to embodiments.

3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a carrier for animals controlled by a separately provided mobile device. Referring to FIG. 3 , the animal carrier is combinable with the thermoelectric element pad 100 , and includes a communication unit 250 and components 260-1 to 260-n provided in the body 210 .

The parts 260-1 to 260-n may be implemented in various ways according to the size or specification of the animal carrier, the use environment, the purpose, and the like. For example, various components 260-1 to 260-n such as a GPS chip, a light emitting diode, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a display, a speaker, a CPU, and a memory may be used. Some of these parts 260-1 to 260-n may be embedded in the body 210, and some may be provided separately from the body 210 and connected to the animal carrier by wire or wirelessly.

The communication unit 250 is a component for performing communication with the external mobile device 300 . The communication unit 250 may communicate with the mobile device 300 through a wired interface as well as various wireless communication methods such as Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, NFC, and Zigbee. The communication unit 250 may communicate with the mobile device 300 when the thermoelectric element pad 100 is mounted on the fixing unit. When a control signal for determining the mode of the thermoelectric element pad is received from the mobile device 300 , the communication unit 250 transmits the control signal to the switch 130 to operate in one of a cooling mode, a heating mode, and a battery use mode. to do it The control signal may be variously changed according to the type of the selected mode. The switch 130 applies a signal of a first polarity (eg, +) in the cooling mode according to the control signal, and receives a signal of a second polarity (eg, -) opposite to the first polarity in the heating mode. can be authorized

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, when a plurality of thermoelectric elements are used, the pad directions of the thermoelectric elements may be alternately arranged differently. In this case, the switch 130 applies electricity to the odd-numbered thermoelectric element in the cooling mode, and applies electricity to the even-numbered thermoelectric element in the heating mode.

4 shows an example of a structure for fixing the thermoelectric element pad 100 to the fixing part 240 . According to FIG. 4 , the fixing part 240 is formed in a structure that is recessed from the bottom surface 230 of the body 210 to correspond to the size and shape of the thermoelectric element pad 100 . A connector 241 connected to a port of the thermoelectric element pad 100 is provided on one side wall of the fixing unit 240 . The user may push the thermoelectric element pad 100 in one direction so that the port 140 faces the connector 241 . Grooves 242 and 243 into which protrusions (not shown) formed on the outside of the thermoelectric element pad 100 are fitted may be provided around the port 140 . A protrusion 244 protruding by an elastic member may be provided on a sidewall opposite to the port 140 . The protrusion 244 is pushed inward by the thermoelectric element pad 100 , and when it meets the groove 101 provided in the thermoelectric element pad 100 , the protrusion 244 is pushed out into the groove 101 by the elastic member. The fixing part 240 may be fixed to be electrically coupled to the thermoelectric element pad 100 by the connector 241 in this form. A button 245 for allowing the protrusion 244 to be pushed inward may be provided on one side of the fixing part 240 . The button 245 may be implemented in various forms, such as a push type or a slide type. The user may separate the thermoelectric element pad 100 by inserting a finger into the grooves 246 and 247 while pressing the button 245 to lift the thermoelectric element pad 100 . The shape of the fixing part 240 of FIG. 4 is only an example, and may be modified into various shapes. In particular, the number, position, shape, etc. of various grooves, protrusions, buttons, etc. may be changed.

The configuration of the fixing part as shown in FIG. 4 may be applied regardless of whether the animal carrier is implemented as a hard case or as a soft case. However, according to an embodiment, the bottom surface may also be implemented with a fabric material or a leather material instead of a plastic or metal material. In this case, the connector 241 may be provided in a wired form to be connected to the port 140 , and the thermoelectric element pad 100 may be connected in a form that is put into a pocket formed on the bottom surface 230 . When the thermoelectric element pad 100 is accommodated in the pocket in a state in which it is wired by the connector 241 , it is mounted in the animal carrier and electricity may be supplied to components electrically connected to the connector.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of a thermoelectric element pad. According to FIG. 5 , the thermoelectric element pad 100 includes four thermoelectric elements 110-1 to 110-4, a battery 120, a board 150, heat dissipation members 160-1 to 160-4, and a fan ( 170). 5 is a plan view when the top plate of the thermoelectric element pad 100 is removed. In the thermoelectric element pad 100 , the four thermoelectric elements 110 - 1 to 110 - 4 are dispersedly arranged in the vertical, left, and right directions while being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The heat dissipation members 160-1 to 160-4 are disposed to contact each thermoelectric element 110-1 to 110-4. Although FIG. 4 shows a state disposed under each thermoelectric element, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be disposed in contact with each other in vertical, horizontal, and horizontal directions.

The fan 170 is a member for dissipating heat inside the thermoelectric element pad 100 to the outside. Although the number and arrangement positions of the fans 170 may be set in various ways according to embodiments, it is advantageous that the animal carrier has as little weight as possible due to its characteristics. In addition, it is advantageous that the overall volume compared to the accommodation space is also small. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5 , one fan 170 may be disposed to face the lower side of the thermoelectric element pad 100 from the center between the respective thermoelectric elements 110 - 1 to 110 - 4 . In this case, the thickness of the thermoelectric element pad 100 may be reduced, and heat may be emitted while minimizing the weight. Although not shown in FIG. 5 , it goes without saying that a motor for rotating the fan 170 should also be included in the thermoelectric element pad 100 .

The board 150 is configured to mount the switch 130 or other components. The battery 120 is disposed in the thermoelectric element pad 100 and may be charged through an external port (not shown). The board 150 may include electric wires or control circuits for connecting the respective components in the thermoelectric element pad 100 .

5 shows a state in which four thermoelectric elements 110-1 to 110-4 are arranged one by one in the vertical, horizontal, and horizontal directions. In this case, the switch 130 may control each of the thermoelectric elements 110 - 1 to 110 - 4 in various ways. For example, in a first mode in which each thermoelectric element 110-1 to 110-4 is sequentially turned on one by one for a predetermined time, for each pair of thermoelectric elements disposed opposite to each other among a plurality of thermoelectric elements 110-1 to 110-4 A second mode that sequentially turns on all the thermoelectric elements 110-1 to 110-4 for a predetermined time, a third mode that repeatedly performs an operation of turning all the thermoelectric elements 110-1 to 110-4 on and then turning them off when a predetermined time elapses, all the thermoelectric elements 110- 1 to 110-4) may be operated in one of various modes, such as a fourth mode in which the light is continuously turned on. According to an embodiment, it may be implemented in a structure in which a user can select one of these modes, or may be implemented in a form in which one of these modes is set as a default. Alternatively, one of these modes may be automatically selected based on external temperature or weather. For example, if it is determined that the ambient temperature is higher than the threshold, it operates in the third mode or the fourth mode to control all the thermoelectric elements 110-1 to 110-4 to transmit cold air, and the ambient temperature is lower than the threshold but is set When the temperature is higher than the temperature, it may be implemented to operate in the first mode or the second mode.

If the number of thermoelectric elements is large and the size is large, the heating and cooling effect increases, but the weight and volume of the animal carrier also increase. In addition, the control method may also design a mode so that cooling or heating is not performed only in a specific part, and cold air or hot air is evenly spread in consideration of the number, arrangement position, size, etc. of the thermoelectric element.

6 illustrates an example of a case surrounding the thermoelectric element pad of FIG. 5 . Referring to FIG. 6 , the case of the thermoelectric element pad is divided into an upper plate 181 provided on the upper portion, sidewalls 182 surrounding the periphery, and a lower plate 183 . The upper plate 181 is configured to transfer cold air or heat generated by the thermoelectric element to the upper side. The upper plate 181 may be implemented as a metal plate, but is not limited thereto, and a plate made of a ceramic material or a polymer material may be used. The side wall 182 or the lower plate 183 may be made of a material that does not conduct heat well. A plurality of holes 184 may be formed at a position where the fan 170 is formed in the lower plate 183 . The heat induced by the fan 170 exits through the hole 184 .

As with the exterior configuration shown in FIG. 1 , the animal carrier is often implemented in a form that a user can carry. In consideration of this, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the thermoelectric element pad may be manufactured as thin as possible.

7 is a view showing another example of the external configuration of the animal carrier. According to FIG. 7 , the animal carrier includes a handle 710 and wheels 720 . A plurality of wheels 720 are provided on the lower side of the body 210 of the animal carrier to support the animal carrier to be movable on the floor surface. The handle 710 is provided on one side of the body 210 in a form that can protrude from the body 210 . The user may drag the handle 710 by protruding from the body 210 . The upper portion of the body 210 of the animal carrier may be made of a hard material so as to support the user's other bag even if it rises. Since most of the use of an animal carrier is a case of long-distance movement, a carrier or bag for storing user items in addition to the animal carrier may be required. To this end, the animal carrier may be manufactured in the form of a module capable of being combined with the general carrier 10 for holding things.

In FIG. 7 , the animal carrier is disposed on the lower side, and the general carrier is coupled to the upper side of the animal carrier, but the reverse arrangement may be performed. In addition, the size or shape of the two carriers does not necessarily have to be the same, and may be implemented differently. A structure capable of being coupled to the handle 710 may be formed on one side of the general carrier 10 .

7 illustrates a case in which the carrier 10 is implemented in the form of a module having a size and shape corresponding to that of the carrier 200 for animals, but is not limited thereto.

For example, the general carrier 10 may be a bag made of fabric or leather, such as a briefcase or clothes bag. In this case, a pocket made of a soft material is formed, and may be coupled in the form of inserting a handle between the pockets. Alternatively, a connection structure (not shown) of a sliding fastening method that is made of a metal or plastic material and the handle 710 can be inserted into the connection structure may be formed in the general carrier 10 .

In addition, although not shown in FIG. 7 , protrusions or grooves capable of being coupled to the lower portion of the carrier 10 may be formed on the upper side of the animal carrier 200 .

When the animal carrier is disposed on the lower side as shown in FIG. 7 , it is advantageous that the heat in the thermoelectric element pad is emitted downward. Accordingly, the thermoelectric element pad may have the structure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 .

8 shows another example of the external configuration of the animal carrier. According to FIG. 8 , the animal carrier may be used in connection with an external carrier 20 having a carrier handle 21 . The animal carrier further includes a connection part 810 that is formed on the outside of the body 210 and can be coupled to the carrier handle 21 . The connection unit 810 may be implemented in various forms. In FIG. 8 , the connection part 810 made of a flexible material provided in the form of a pocket on the outside of the soft case is shown, but it is made of a hard material such as metal or plastic and is made in the form of a sliding fastening structure in which the carrier handle 21 is inserted into the inside. may be lost

In addition, although the shape of the generally used carrier 20 is illustrated in FIG. 8 , the carrier 20 and the animal carrier may be manufactured in a similar shape and size, respectively, and may be implemented in the form of a module that can be combined with each other.

7 and 8, the connection part or the handle part is illustrated as being formed on the side of the animal carrier based on the entrance, but is not necessarily limited thereto. That is, a connection part or a handle may be provided in a direction opposite to the entrance of the animal carrier.

9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a thermoelectric element pad according to another embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 9 , the thermoelectric element pad 100 includes, in addition to the battery 120 and the board 150 , one thermoelectric element 110 and one heat dissipation structure 160 coupled thereto, and is disposed in the lateral direction. and a plurality of fans 170-1, 170-2, and 170-3. Each of the fans 170-1, 170-2, and 170-3 is disposed in a lateral direction to radiate heat in a lateral direction of the animal carrier.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the exterior of a case of the thermoelectric element pad of FIG. 9 . Referring to FIG. 10 , a plurality of holes 910 - 1 and 910 - 2 corresponding to positions of the fans 170 - 1 , 170 - 2 and 170 - 3 are formed on the side surface of the case.

The thermoelectric element pad having the structure shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 may be used in the animal carrier of FIG. 8 . According to FIG. 8 , since the animal carrier is located on the upper side of the carrier 20 , it is blocked by the carrier 20 even if it wants to emit heat in the lower direction. In this case, if the fan is arranged sideways as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , heat may be emitted in the side direction without being covered by the carrier 20 .

The thermoelectric pad may be controlled by an operation panel provided on the animal carrier or by an external device. As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , if communication is performed with a mobile device, it may be controlled by the mobile device.

11 shows an example of a UI configuration of a mobile device for controlling an animal carrier. The mobile device of FIG. 11 may be a dedicated remote control for the animal carrier, but is not limited thereto, and may be implemented as various devices such as a mobile phone, a tablet, and a laptop PC. When implemented as a general mobile device, a user may install and use a control application provided by a manufacturer of an animal carrier or other software company on the mobile device 300 .

The mobile device 300 may display the UI of FIG. 11 when the user selects and executes an application installed in the mobile device 300 . According to the UI 1100-1 of FIG. 11 , a plurality of menus 1110 , 1120 , and 1130 for selecting a cooling mode, a heating mode, and a battery use mode, respectively, may be displayed.

When the user selects the cooling mode menu 1110 or the heating mode menu 1120 , the mobile device 300 transmits a control signal corresponding to the selected menu to the animal carrier 200 . The communication unit 250 transfers the received control signal to the switch 130 of the thermoelectric element pad 100 . The switch 130 applies a signal having a first polarity or a second polarity to the thermoelectric element 110 based on the control signal.

When the battery use mode menu 1130 is selected, the mobile device 300 displays a UI 1110 - 2 for selecting a component to be activated. The components 1131 , 1132 , and 1133 embedded in the animal carrier 200 are displayed on the UI 1110 - 2 . At least one LED for ensuring visibility even at night may be embedded in the animal carrier 200 , and a sensor for sensing the weight, internal temperature, humidity, etc. of the animal may be included. In addition, a GPS for determining the location information of the carrier for animals may be included. The user may select menus 1131 , 1132 , and 1133 corresponding to the part to be used. The control circuit in the animal carrier may transmit an electrical signal transmitted from the battery 120 of the thermoelectric element pad 100 through the port 140 to the selected component to activate the corresponding component.

Although FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which only some parts can be selectively activated, it is not necessarily implemented in this way. For example, when not in the heating/cooling mode, it may be implemented to apply electricity to all components.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that the control is performed by a mobile device rather than an animal carrier, but it may be implemented differently.

12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a carrier for animals according to another embodiment of the present invention. 12 , the animal carrier 200 further includes a controller 270 and an operation panel 280 together with the thermoelectric element pad 100 and a plurality of parts 2601 to 260-n.

The operation panel 280 is configured to control the operation of the animal carrier 200 including the thermoelectric element pad 100 . The operation panel 280 may be implemented in the form of a button, or may include a display or a touch display. The size, shape, type, arrangement position, etc. of the operation panel 280 may be variously set according to the size, shape, specification, etc. of the animal carrier 200 . For example, the operation panel 280 may be provided on one side of the body 210 of the animal carrier 200 in the form of a touch display for displaying various modes as shown in FIG. 11 .

The control unit 270 is configured to control the overall operation of the animal carrier 200 according to the operation state of the operation panel 280 . When the thermoelectric element pad 100 is mounted on the fixing part 240 , the controller 270 is electrically connected to the switch 130 of the thermoelectric element pad 100 . When the cooling mode is selected through the operation panel 280, the controller 270 applies an electrical signal of the first polarity to the thermoelectric element, and when the heating mode is selected, the controller 270 applies an electric signal of the second polarity to the thermoelectric element, and uses the battery. When the mode is selected, the switch 130 is controlled to cut off the electrical connection with the thermoelectric element and connect various electronic components and batteries built in the body 210 through the port 140 .

Meanwhile, although not illustrated in the above-described various embodiments, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the animal carrier 200 may have its own built-in battery. In this case, when the thermoelectric element mode 100 is in a separated state or the battery 120 of the thermoelectric element mode 100 is completely discharged, the controller 270 installs its own battery (not shown) into each of the components 260 . -1 to 260-n) can also be connected.

13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a carrier for animals according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 13 , when a thermoelectric element pad including at least one thermoelectric element and a battery is mounted on the bottom surface of the animal carrier ( S1310 ), the animal carrier provides a UI for mode selection ( S1320 ). A UI providing method may be variously changed according to an embodiment. For example, if communication is connected with an external mobile device, the UI may be displayed on the display of the mobile device. As another example, if the operation panel itself is provided, a UI may be displayed on the operation panel.

When the cooling mode is selected in the UI (S1330), a signal of the first polarity is applied to the thermoelectric element to provide cool air (S1340). When the heating mode is selected in the UI (S1350), the signal of the second polarity is popular with the thermoelectric element (S1360). If not in the heating/cooling mode, the battery in the thermoelectric pad is connected to the port (S1370). Accordingly, since the thermoelectric element pad can be used as a single auxiliary battery when cooling and heating is not required, the usability is increased.

As described above, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the thermoelectric element pad may be mounted on or separated from the animal carrier. In the case of detachment, the user may use the thermoelectric element pad as an animal cushion or bed. Alternatively, the same type of fixing unit may be provided on the bottom surface of the house in which the animal resides, and the thermoelectric element pad may be mounted on the house and used.

In addition, in the above embodiments, it has been described that the thermoelectric element pad is fixed to the bottom surface, but a fixing part may be provided on a ceiling or a side wall in addition to the floor surface. In addition, it may be implemented in a structure using a plurality of thermoelectric element pads.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the heating and cooling effect can be obtained while minimizing the weight and volume of the animal carrier, and in a situation where heating and cooling is unnecessary, the thermoelectric element pad can be used like an auxiliary battery to activate various additional functions.

In the above, various embodiments have been described using flowcharts and block diagrams. The order of the steps shown in each flowchart is merely an example, and the order may be changed according to circumstances. In addition, some steps may be omitted or added according to embodiments.

In addition, the control method according to various embodiments as described above may be stored and distributed in a recording medium in the form of a program code for performing the method. Specifically, when executed by the electronic device, the program code for controlling the operation depending on whether the thermoelectric element pad is mounted may be distributed in a state stored in a recording medium or distributed online.

Here, the program code includes the steps of providing a UI for mode selection when a thermoelectric element pad including at least one thermoelectric element and a battery is mounted on the bottom surface of the animal carrier, and when a cooling or heating mode is selected on the UI, the battery of supplying electrical energy to at least one thermoelectric element, and controlling the thermoelectric element pad to supply the electric energy of the battery to at least one electronic component provided in the body of the animal carrier when the battery use mode is selected on the UI. It can be code to be executed as

The device on which the recording medium in which the program code is stored is mounted may perform the operations according to the various embodiments described above.

The recording medium may be various types of computer-readable media such as ROM, RAM, memory chips, memory cards, external hard drives, hard drives, CDs, DVDs, magnetic disks or magnetic tapes.

In addition, a device that has downloaded such a program code from an online provider may also perform the above-described various operations.

In addition, although the above-described various embodiments have been described based on the animal carrier, it is not necessarily limited to animals and may be applied to a general article carrier.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the scope of the present invention is determined by the following claims and should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments and/or drawings. And it should be clearly understood that improvements, changes and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art of the invention described in the claims are also included in the scope of the present invention.

100: thermoelectric element pad 200: animal carrier
110: thermoelectric element 120: battery
130: switch 140: port

Claims (15)

In the carrier for animals,
a body for housing an animal;
a fixing part provided on the bottom surface of the body; and
It includes; a thermoelectric element pad detachable from the fixing part and having a protrusion formed on the outside;
The fixing part,
It is formed in a structure that is recessed to correspond to the size and shape of the thermoelectric element pad, and a connector capable of wired connection with the electrode of the thermoelectric element pad and a groove into which the protrusion of the thermoelectric element pad is fitted are provided on one wall of the fixing part. become,
The thermoelectric element pad,
at least one thermoelectric element;
battery ; and
In a cooling or heating mode, the switch connects the at least one thermoelectric element and the battery, and in the battery use mode, a switch connects the battery to at least one electronic component provided on the body. According to claim 1,
a control unit electrically connected to the switch of the thermoelectric element pad when the thermoelectric element pad is mounted on the fixing part; and
It further includes; an operation panel for controlling the operation of the thermoelectric element pad,
The control unit is
When the cooling mode is selected through the operation panel, an electric signal of a first polarity is applied to the at least one thermoelectric element;
When the heating mode is selected through the operation panel, an electric signal of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity is applied to the at least one thermoelectric element,
When the battery use mode is selected through the operation panel, the switch is controlled to cut off the electrical connection with the at least one thermoelectric element and connect the at least one electronic component and the battery. According to claim 1,
It further includes; a communication unit for performing communication with the mobile device,
The communication unit communicates with the mobile device when the thermoelectric pad is mounted on the fixing unit, and transmits the control signal to the switch when a control signal for determining the mode of the thermoelectric pad is received from the mobile device Carrier for animals to do. According to claim 1,
The thermoelectric element pad,
a case including a top plate for transferring cold air or heat generated from the at least one thermoelectric element;
a heat dissipation member for emitting heat in contact with the at least one thermoelectric element within the case;
at least one fan disposed adjacent to the heat dissipation member to dissipate the heat in the direction of the lower plate provided on the opposite side of the upper plate; and
Including a motor for rotating the at least one fan. According to claim 1,
a plurality of wheels provided on the lower side of the body; and
Carrier for animals further comprising; a handle protruding from the body. According to claim 1,
It further includes a; is formed on the outside of the body, and can be coupled to the carrier handle;
The thermoelectric element pad,
a case including a top plate for transferring cold air or heat generated from the at least one thermoelectric element;
a heat dissipation member for emitting heat in contact with the at least one thermoelectric element within the case;
at least one fan for discharging internal heat of the case in a lateral direction of the case; and
Including a motor for rotating the at least one fan. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The thermoelectric element pad,
It includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements dispersedly arranged in the case,
The switch is a first mode for sequentially turning on the plurality of thermoelectric elements for a predetermined time under the cooling mode or the heating mode, and a first mode for sequentially turning on for a predetermined time for each pair of oppositely arranged thermoelectric elements among the plurality of thermoelectric elements 2 mode, a third mode in which the operation of repeatedly turning on the plurality of thermoelectric elements and turning them off after a predetermined time is repeatedly performed, and a fourth mode in which all of the plurality of thermoelectric elements are turned on, the animal carrier . 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
When at least one electronic component provided on the body is connected to the battery, it is activated by electric energy supplied from the battery,
The at least one electronic component includes at least one of a GPS chip, a light emitting diode, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a display, a speaker, a CPU, and a memory. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The body is a soft case in which at least a part of side parts and upper parts except for the bottom surface is made of a soft material,
The fixing part is in the form of a pocket capable of accommodating the thermoelectric element pad,
The at least one electronic component is embedded in the soft case and electrically connected to the connector, the animal carrier. A method for controlling an animal carrier, the method comprising:
fitting the protrusion formed on the outside of the thermoelectric element pad including at least one thermoelectric element and the battery into the groove provided on one wall of the recessed structure fixing part provided on the bottom surface of the animal carrier;
wire-connecting to the electrode of the thermoelectric element pad through a connector provided on one wall of the fixing unit;
providing a UI for mode selection when the thermoelectric element pad is mounted on the fixing unit;
When a cooling or heating mode is selected on the UI, the electric energy of the battery is supplied to the at least one thermoelectric element, and when a battery use mode is selected on the UI, the electric energy of the battery is supplied to at least a body of the animal carrier. Controlling the thermoelectric element pad to be supplied as one electronic component; including a control method. 11. The method of claim 10,
The step of providing the UI comprises:
Displaying the UI on an operation panel provided on the body of the animal carrier; including a control method. 11. The method of claim 10,
The step of providing the UI comprises:
Displaying the UI on a mobile device in which an application for controlling the animal carrier is installed; including, a control method. In the thermoelectric element pad,
A case in which a protrusion is formed on the outside so as to be detachably attached to a fixing part having a recessed structure provided on the bottom surface of the animal carrier, and to be fitted into a groove provided in one wall of the fixing part;
at least one thermoelectric element built into the case;
battery ;
a port for connecting to a connector provided on one wall in the fixing part; and
A switch for connecting the at least one thermoelectric element and the battery in a cooling or heating mode, and connecting the battery to the port in a battery use mode; including a thermoelectric element pad. 14. The method of claim 13,
a heat dissipation member for emitting heat in contact with the at least one thermoelectric element within the case;
at least one fan disposed adjacent to the heat dissipation member to dissipate the heat in the direction of the lower plate of the case; and
The thermoelectric element pad further comprising; a motor for rotating the at least one fan. 14. The method of claim 13,
a heat dissipation member for emitting heat in contact with the at least one thermoelectric element within the case;
at least one fan for discharging internal heat of the case in a lateral direction of the case; and
The thermoelectric element pad further comprising a motor for rotating the at least one fan.

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