KR19990035771U - Rice Bucket Using Thermoelectric Semiconductor Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rice container. The rice container according to the present invention is a rice container having an outer casing, which is installed inside the outer casing and cooperates with the outer casing to form a heat transfer space in a circumferential region; It includes a thermoconductor element exposed to the heat absorbing portion in the heat transfer space. As a result, by maintaining the temperature inside the rice reservoir uniformly, not only the operation time of the thermoelectric semiconductor element can be reduced, but also moisture can be prevented from being filled in the surrounding area of the cold sink.

Description

Rice Bucket Using Thermoelectric Semiconductor Device

The present invention relates to a rice barrel for cooling the rice reservoir using a thermoelectric semiconductor device.

The thermoelectric semiconductor device uses a thermoelectric phenomenon at the junction surface of a semiconductor and a metal. The division between the endothermic side and the heat generating side, and the endothermic amount and the amount of heat generation vary depending on the direction and amount of current passing through the junction surface, respectively, and mechanical operation It has the property of not having a part, and its configuration is as shown in FIG.

4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a thermoelectric semiconductor element.

As shown in this figure, a thermoelectric semiconductor element electrically shields a thermocouple portion 1 having a plurality of junction surfaces of a semiconductor 2 and a metal 3 and a metal 3 of the thermocouple portion 1. And insulating plates 11 and 12 and heat exchange parts 13 and 14 coupled to the insulating plates 11 and 12. Hereinafter, one side of the heat exchange parts 13 and 14 will be referred to as a heat sink and the other side as a cold sink. In the semiconductor 2 in the thermocouple 1, the P-type and the N-type alternately form a junction surface with the metal 3, and a voltage is applied to the thermocouple portion 1 through the feed line 15. When the semiconductor 2 is N-type, it generates heat on the input side of the current and absorbs heat on the opposite side. When the semiconductor 2 is P-type, heat generation and heat absorption are reversed. This exothermic and endothermic heat is transferred to the outside or load through the heater sink and cold sink. At this time, the calorific value and the endothermic amount increase in proportion to the magnitude of the current and the absolute temperature of the semiconductor and the metal junction.

Thermoelectric semiconductor elements having such characteristics are widely used as a means of heating or cooling a load, and a rice container using such thermoelectric semiconductor elements is shown in FIG. 5.

5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional rice container.

As shown in this figure, the rice container has an outer casing 41 which forms the upper space and the lower space by the partition 43, and the inner wall surface and the partition 43 of the upper space of the outer casing 41. And a thermoelectric semiconductor element 51 provided on the partition 43 of the outer casing 41 so that the cold sink 54 is exposed inside the rice reservoir 42.

A viewing window 46 is formed on one side of the outer casing 41, a rice extraction hole 48 is formed on the partition 43, and an air outlet 56 is formed on the bottom thereof. In the lower space of the outer casing 41, a rice withdrawal button 49 for withdrawing rice through the rice withdrawal hole 48, a withdrawal lever 50 for operating the rice withdrawal button 49 from outside, and A rice tray 44 for receiving rice is provided. In addition, a cooling fan 55 is provided between the heat sink 53 and the air exhaust port 56 of the thermoelectric semiconductor element 51.

The rice reservoir 42 is upwardly opened, and the opening area is opened and closed by the lid 45. A rice reservoir temperature sensor 47 is installed on one side of the rice reservoir 42 to detect the internal temperature of the rice reservoir 42.

Reference numeral 52 that is not described is a thermocouple portion of the thermoelectric semiconductor element 51.

In the rice container having such a configuration, when the operating voltage is supplied to the thermoelectric semiconductor element 51 through a feeder line (not shown), the cold sink 54 absorbs heat to cool the inside of the rice reservoir 42, The absorbed heat is discharged from the heater sink 53 and then discharged to the outside through the lower space of the outer casing 41 and the air outlet 56. At this time, the cooling fan 55 blows cooling air toward the heat sink 53 to increase heat dissipation. The internal temperature of the rice reservoir 42 is controlled by a controller (not shown), wherein the controller is a thermoelectric semiconductor element in the region where the detection temperature of the rice reservoir temperature sensor 47 is equal to or higher than the target cooling temperature of the rice reservoir 42. 51) and the cooling fan 55 are operated, and the operation is stopped when the temperature reaches the target cooling temperature.

By the way, in the conventional rice container, since the heat absorption in the thermoelectric semiconductor element 41 occurs partially through the surrounding space of the cold sink 54, the internal temperature of the rice storage container 42 is the distance from the cold sink 54 As a result, the temperature of the region distantly from the region adjacent to the cold sink 54 becomes high. Therefore, in order to maintain the entire internal space of the rice storage container 42 below the target cooling temperature, not only the thermoelectric semiconductor element 51 needs to be operated for a long time, but also the humidity around the cold sink 54 where the temperature is low is a problem. There was this.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a rice container capable of maintaining a uniform internal temperature of the rice storage container in cooling the rice storage container.

1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a rice container according to the present invention,

2 is a control block diagram of the internal temperature of the rice storage container according to the present invention,

3 is a control flow chart of the internal temperature of the rice storage container according to the present invention,

4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a thermoelectric semiconductor element;

5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional rice container.

Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1, 35, 52: thermocouple parts 11, 12: insulating plate

13: heater sink 14: cold sink

19: cooling fan drive circuit 20, 55: cooling fan

21, 41: outer casing 22, 42: rice reservoir

23, 43: bulkhead 27, 47: rice storage temperature sensor

31, 51: thermoelectric semiconductor element 32: thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit

37: heat transfer liquid 38: heat transfer liquid temperature sensor

39 control unit 40 thermoelectric semiconductor element start switch

The object is, according to the present invention, in the rice container having an outer casing, the rice storage container is installed inside the outer casing, and cooperates with the outer casing to form a heat transfer space in the peripheral area; It is achieved by a rice container including a thermoelectric semiconductor element is exposed to the heat absorbing portion in the heat transfer space.

Here, it is preferable to accommodate a heat transfer material in the heat transfer space.

On the other hand, and the rice reservoir temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the rice reservoir; It may be configured to further include a control unit for controlling the thermoelectric semiconductor element so that the starting of the thermoelectric semiconductor element is stopped when the internal temperature of the rice storage container lowers below a predetermined target cooling temperature.

In addition, when receiving a heat transfer material in the heat transfer space, a heat transfer material temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heat transfer material; When the detected temperature of the heat transfer material drops below a predetermined freezing temperature, the controller may control the thermoconductor element so as to stop starting of the thermoconductor element, or may further include such a controller.

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

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rice container according to the present invention.

As shown in this figure, the rice container is formed from the outer casing 21 in which the upper space and the lower space are partitioned by the partition 23, and from the inner wall surface and the partition 23 of the upper space of the outer casing 21. Thermoelectric heat is installed on the partition 23 of the outer casing 21 so that the cold sink 34 is exposed in the space between the rice reservoir 22 and the outer casing 21 and the rice reservoir 22 spaced apart from the predetermined space. It has a semiconductor element 31. The heat transfer liquid 37 is accommodated in the space between the outer casing 21 and the rice storage container 22.

A viewing window 26 is formed on one side of the outer casing 21, a rice extraction hole 28 is formed on the partition 23, and an air outlet 36 is formed on the bottom of the outer casing 21. In the lower space of the outer casing 21, a rice withdrawal button 29 for extracting rice through the rice withdrawal hole 28, a withdrawal lever 30 for operating the rice withdrawal button 29 from the outside, and A rice tray 24 for receiving rice is provided, respectively. In addition, a cooling fan 20 is provided between the heat sink 33 and the air exhaust port 36 of the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31.

The rice reservoir 22 is upwardly opened, and the opening area is opened and closed by the lid 25. Rice storage tank temperature sensor 27 and heat transfer liquid temperature sensor 38 are respectively installed on one side of the rice storage container 22 and the inner wall surface of the cold sink 34 of the outer casing 21, respectively, The internal temperature of 22 and the temperature of the heat transfer liquid 37 near the cold sink 34 are detected.

Reference numeral 35 is a thermocouple part of the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31.

The internal temperature of the rice reservoir 22 is controlled based on the temperature detected by both sensors 27 and 38, and an example of such control is shown in Figs.

2 is a control block diagram of the internal temperature of the rice storage container according to the present invention.

As shown in this figure, the overall control is the control unit 39, the thermoelectric semiconductor element start switch 40, the rice storage tank temperature sensor 27 and the heat transfer liquid temperature detection on the input side of the control unit 39 The sensor 38 is connected to a thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit 32 and a cooling fan driving circuit 19 on the output side, respectively. The thermoelectric semiconductor element starting switch 40 generates a start signal of the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31, and the thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit 32 and the cooling fan driving circuit 19 are respectively the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31 and the cooling fan ( 20) It is configured to supply or cut off the operating voltage. The control process according to this control block is shown in FIG.

3 is a control flowchart of the internal temperature of the rice storage container according to the present invention.

As shown in this figure, when a start signal is input from the thermoelectric semiconductor element starting switch 40, the control unit 39 controls the thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit 32 to start the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31. (S1), the cooling fan drive circuit 19 is controlled to operate the cooling fan 20 (S2). When the heat conducting semiconductor element 31 is operated, heat is absorbed into the heat transfer liquid 37 through the entire surface of the rice storage container 22, and the absorbed heat is transferred to the heat transfer liquid 37 near the cold sink 34. do. At this time, if a heat transfer liquid having a high heat transfer rate is selected, heat can be uniformly absorbed through the entire surface of the rice storage container 22. The heat transferred to the heat transfer liquid 37 near the cold sink 34 is discharged to the outside of the outer casing 21 through the cold sink 34, the heat sink 33, and the air exhaust port 36. At this time, the heat dissipation through the heat sink 33 is increased by the blowing of the cooling fan 20. The temperature of the inside of the rice reservoir 22 and the heat transfer liquid 37 which change according to the heat release are detected by the rice reservoir temperature sensor 27 and the heat transfer liquid temperature sensor 38 (S3). The temperatures are input to the controller 39. The controller 39 periodically compares the internal temperature and the target cooling temperature of the rice storage container 22 with the temperature of the heat transfer liquid 37 and the freezing temperature, respectively (S4 and S8). As a result, when the internal temperature of the rice storage container 22 is lower than the target cooling temperature, the controller 39 controls the thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit 32 to stop the operation of the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31 (S5). The cooling fan drive circuit 19 is controlled to stop the operation of the cooling fan 20 (S6). Thereafter, the controller 39 compares the internal temperature of the rice storage container 22 with a predetermined reference temperature A (S7), and increases the internal temperature of the rice storage container 22 to the predetermined reference temperature A. When reaching, the thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit 32 is controlled to restart the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31. On the other hand, when the temperature of the heat transfer liquid 37 is lower than the freezing temperature, the control unit 39 stops the operation of the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31 by controlling the thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit 32 (S9). The driving circuit 19 is controlled to stop the operation of the cooling fan 20 (S10). Thereafter, the controller 39 compares the temperature of the heat transfer liquid 37 with the predetermined reference temperature B (S11), and the temperature of the heat transfer liquid 37 increases to reach the predetermined reference temperature B. At that time, the thermoelectric semiconductor element driving circuit 32 is controlled to restart the thermoelectric semiconductor element 31.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in cooling the rice reservoir, it is possible to maintain a uniform temperature inside the rice reservoir. Therefore, not only the operation time of the thermoelectric semiconductor element can be reduced, but also moisture can be prevented from being filled in the surrounding area of the cold sink.

Claims (6)

In a rice barrel with an outer casing, A rice storage container disposed inside the outer casing and cooperating with the outer casing to form a heat transfer space in a circumferential region; Rice bowl, characterized in that it comprises a thermoelectric semiconductor element is exposed to the heat absorbing portion in the heat transfer space. The method according to claim 1, The rice container further comprises a heat transfer material accommodated in the heat transfer space. The method according to claim 1, A rice reservoir temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the rice reservoir; And a control unit for controlling the thermoelectric semiconductor element such that the starting of the thermoelectric semiconductor element is stopped when the internal temperature of the rice storage vessel falls below a predetermined target cooling temperature. The method according to claim 2, A rice reservoir temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the rice reservoir; And a control unit for controlling the thermoelectric semiconductor element such that the starting of the thermoelectric semiconductor element is stopped when the internal temperature of the rice storage vessel falls below a predetermined target cooling temperature. The method according to claim 2, A heat transfer material temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the heat transfer material; And a control unit for controlling the thermoelectric semiconductor element so that the starting of the thermoelectric semiconductor element is stopped when the detected temperature of the heat transfer material drops below a predetermined freezing temperature. The method according to claim 4, A heat transfer material temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the heat transfer material; And the control unit controls the thermoelectric semiconductor device to stop the operation of the thermoelectric semiconductor device when the detected temperature of the heat transfer material drops below a predetermined freezing temperature.