US20090071169A1

US20090071169A1 - Micro-heatpipe based cold and hot pad

Info

Publication number: US20090071169A1
Application number: US12/209,443
Authority: US
Inventors: Fu-Jen Kao
Original assignee: National Yang Ming University NYMU
Current assignee: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University NYCU
Priority date: 2007-09-19
Filing date: 2008-09-12
Publication date: 2009-03-19
Also published as: TWM340042U

Abstract

The present invention provides a micro-heatpipe based cold and holt microtube, including a cold chip, hot chip and a power-controller.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a cold/hot device, in particular a micro-heatpipe based cold/hot pad.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Cold/hot packs on the market today mainly use gels or chemical solutions as the content. Gel packs (e.g. cellulose gel) must be put in the freezer or heated before use, for it could be very troublesome with only a short period of cooling/heating effect (approximately 30 minutes). Chemical cold/hot packs utilize chemical reactions, e.g. sodium acetate solution and sheet metal. This type of chemical pack can be heated by simply pressing on the sheet metal to begin the heating process, but it needs to be heated in hot water to restore its function; it also needs to be put in the freezer to achieve cooling effect. Although chemical cold/hot packs have longer cooling and heating effect than gel packs about 1 to 2 hours, the effects only last for a limited time.
Thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is a semiconductor P-N material, exploiting the Peltier effect for heating and/or cooling. A direct current is produced by connecting a DC voltage at both ends of the TEC, which would warm one end and cool the other, as they are called the hot end and the cold end, respectively. Reversing the voltage would also reverse the transfer of heat flow which the hot end becomes the cold end and vice versa. TECs are small in size, not easily damaged, and can achieve cooling or heating effect by just reversing the voltage. They are more power saving than resistor heaters. Therefore, TECs are used in a variety of cold/hot products for long lasting heating or cooling effect. When the hot end of the TEC heats rapidly, heat dissipation apparatus is often used in TEC cold/hot pads, mainly of cooling fan or heat sink, such as ones disclosed in Taiwan (ROC) Patent No. 361249 and Taiwan (ROC) patent No. 273931. However, the use of cooling fans and heat sink to dissipate surface heat shows poor result. In addition, TEC designed cold/hot pads are often large in size and cannot be applied to specific parts for cooling or heating relief.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a micro-heatpipe based cold/hot pad comprising: a TEC in which after being connected to a direct current produces a heat-absorbing cold end and a heat-releasing hot end, and when the voltage is reversed, the cold end becomes the hot end and vice versa; a micro-heatpipe which is attached to the hot end of the TEC for the purpose of heat exchange; and a power control component which is electrically connected to the TEC to supply power to the TEC and to regulate the charge polarity of the power input.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a 3-dimentaionl schematic diagram of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As disclosed in the prior art, cold/hot pads that utilize gel or chemical solution are inconvenient to use and only last for short period of time. TEC cold/hot devices with cooling fans and heat sink as the heat dissipating apparatus may complicate the overall structure, while heat conduction is less effective and the device cannot be applied to specific parts of the body. In view of this, this invention aims to provide a micro-heatpipe based cold/hot pad.
The present invention is a micro-heatpipe based cold/hot pad that combines TEC and micro-heatpipe into a lightweight, easy-to-use device that offers long-lasting cooling or heating effect and can be applied to specific body parts. This invention overcomes the shortcomings, such as inconvenience to use and short lasting time, of gel or chemical cold/hot pads on the market. Since micro-heatpipes have small thermal resistance, fast thermal response, good heat conduction, and can distribute heat evenly, they are free of the drawbacks of requiring heat dissipating apparatus that complicates the structure and lowers the heat conduction efficiency. Moreover, micro-heatpipes are lightweight, small, with simple structure and longer wear-free product life cycle; when combined with TEC, a cold/hot device is created that is lightweight, durable and easy to carry. The flexible nature of micro-heatpipes also allows the cold/hot pad to be perfectly affixed onto specific body parts for targeted cooling or heating needs.
To achieve the above purposes, the present invention is a micro-heatpipe based cold/hot device, comprising the following components. A TEC, in which when connected to a DC power supply, one end becomes the heat-absorbing cold end, while the other becomes the heat-releasing hot end, when the voltage is reversed, the cold end turns into the hot end and vice versa. A micro-heatpipe attached to the hot end of TEC for the purpose of heat exchange. A power control component that is connected to the TEC to supply power, and at the same time, regulates the charge polarity of the power input.
This invention of a micro-heatpipe cold/hot device can further comprise a cold/hot pad, a cold/hot conduction case or any packaging with heat-conducting capabilities. The power control component of this cold/hot micro-heatpipe device comprises a power supply and a power switch. In a preferred embodiment, the power supply provides electricity to the TEC; the switch is used to regulate the charge polarity of the power input, for the TEC to achieve cooling or heating effect based on the polarity of the power supply.
This invention of a micro-heatpipe cold/hot device can further comprise a temperature control device, in which the control device regulates the degree of cooling or heating of the TEC. In a preferred embodiment, the temperature control device can be a variable resistor. The temperature control device can comprise a power switch and a sensor.
This invention of a micro-heatpipe cold/hot device can further comprise a fixing device to secure the cold/hot pad at a fixed body part.
The power control component and the cooling component of this invention of a micro-heatpipe cold/hot device can be installed on different base boards, so that they are connected through an electric wire to lessen the weight burden on users since the cooling component is separated from the power control component.
In order to allow workers with the relevant skills to understand and content of the invention of content and the embodiment, and to easily comprehend the related purpose and advantages put forward in the content, claims and drawings disclosed in this application, the embodiment will detail the features and advantages of this invention. Please refer to the drawings and descriptions for the content of this invention and embodiment examples. In fact, this invention may be embodied in a variety of forms and should not be inferred to be limited by the examples given in the text.

EXAMPLES

To elucidate the purpose, structure, feature and function of the present invention, the following detailed description shows example embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a 3-dimentaionl schematic diagram of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the third embodiment. The following section describes the components in the embodiment of this invention.
As presented in FIG. 1, to achieve the purpose for targeted cooling/heating of body parts, the present invention of a lightweight micro-heatpipe cold/hot device comprises a TEC 20, a micro-heatpipe 30 and a power control component 90. As shown in FIG. 1, a TEC 20 is installed in the cold/hot pad 10 of this invention, where a micro-heatpipe 30 is attached to one side of the TEC, in addition to a small power supply 40 to provide electricity to TEC 20. The TEC 20 is a semiconductor P-N material, using Peltier effect for heating or cooling. When the TEC 20 is connected to a direct current, one end is heated and the other is cooled, as they are the heat-absorbing cold end 21 and heat-releasing hot end 22, respectively. Reversing the voltage on the TEC 20 would reverse the transfer of heat flow—the cold end 21 becomes heat-releasing and the hot end 22 becomes heat-absorbing. TEC 20 is small, not easily damaged, and can achieve cooling or heating effect by simply reversing the charge polarity of the power supply. Moreover, TEC 20 is more energy efficient than common heat resistor, while still capable of providing long-lasting cooling or heating effect.
The micro-heatpipe 30 used in this invention can be either flat tube or round tube, which is attached to the hot end 22 of the TEC 20 for the purpose of heat exchange. When the hot end 22 of the TEC 20 is heated to a high temperature, the micro-heatpipe 30 allows rapid heat dissipation, when the hot end 22 is cooled, the adjoining micro-heatpipe absorbs heat from the surrounding to establish a heat balance with the hot end 22, preventing it from freezing.
The power control component 90 (FIG. 2) is electrically connected the TEC 20 to supply power to the said TEC and to regulate the charge polarity of the power input; the TEC 20 can then produce cooling or heating effect based on the charge polarity. Consequently, users can reverse the polarity of the battery 40 to change the cooling/heating ends of the cold/hot pad 10 according to their heating or cooling needs. Power supply 40 for use in this invention comprises, but not limited to, lithium batteries.
The cold/hot pad 10 in this invention can further comprise a fixing device to directly fix or adhere the pad 10 to the skin or clothing of the user where the heating or cooling is needed. For example, a band can be attached to the sides of the pad, materials such as Velcro, reusable adhesive, or ones suitable for skin contact can also be adhered to the back of the pad.
FIG. 2 shows a 3-dimentaionl schematic diagram of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the first embodiment (FIG. 1). As demonstrated in FIG. 2, the power control component 90 in this invention comprises a power supply 40 and a power switch 50. The power supply 40 provides electricity to the TEC 20; the power switch 50 regulates the charge polarity for the TEC 20 to produce cooling or heating based on the polarity of the power input.
When using, attach the side of the old/hot pad 10 with the flat tube micro-heatpipe 30 to the body part in need of cooling or heating. After turning on the power supply 40, one can control the charge polarity by adjusting the power switch 50 for cooling or heating effect. When the current is positive, i.e. using the cold/hot pad 10 for cooling, the cold end 21 (skin contact surface, as shown in FIG. 1) absorbs heat to rapidly lower skin surface temperature; at the same time, the heat generated at the hot end 22 is rapidly dissipated via the micro-heatpipe 30. On the contrary, when the current is negative, i.e. using the cold/hot pad 10 for heating, the cold end 21 (skin contact surface, as shown in FIG. 1) release heat to produce high temperature; at the same time, the temperature at the hot end 22 is lowered where the micro-heatpipe 30 absorbs surrounding heat to establish a heat balance, preventing it from freezing.
The cold/hot pad 10 in this invention can further comprise a temperature control device 60 for users to set the temperature for heating or cooling based on individual needs, so as to enhance the practicality and cost-effectiveness of the product. The temperature control device 60 can comprise an adjustment knob 62 for adjustable variable resistor 61 for the purpose of altering the DC voltage for TEC 20 in controlling the cooling/heating temperature. A DC power on/off can also be used to adjust the cooling/heating of TEC 20, in which a sensor is installed, when the temperature drops lower than the minimum temperature detected by the sensor, heating begins, whereas when the temperature exceeds the maximum temperature, cooling begins.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the second embodiment. As presented in FIG. 3, this is an improvement to the cold/hot pad in the first embodiment of this invention, in which the weight of the device exerted on the body part is reduced. The main differences from the first embodiment are as follows. The power control component 90 which can further comprise a temperature control device 60 and power supply 40 are installed on one base board, whereas the cooling/heating device comprising TEC 20, micro-heatpipe 30 and cold/hot pad 10 is installed on another base board. The two structures are connected by a wire 70. When using, the power control component 90 and the cooling/heating device are separately fixed on the waist and the body part in need of cooling or heating to lessen the weight exerted on the user.
FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the micro-heatpipe cold/hot device in the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the power control component 90 and TEC 20 are installed on the same base board, where micro-heatpipe 30 is used to conduct heat for cooling or heating. When using, the weight of the device on the user is reduced, while the flexible feature of micro-heatpipe 30 allows seamless adherence of the pad and the skin. An insulation sheath can be added between the micro-heatpipe 30 and the cold/hot pad 10 for enhanced safety.
While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A micro-heatpipe based cold/hot pad, comprising:

a TEC in which after being connected to a direct current produces a heat-absorbing cold end and a heat-releasing hot end, and when the voltage is reversed, the cold end becomes the hot end and vice versa;

a micro-heatpipe which is attached to the hot end of the TEC for the purpose of heat exchange; and

a power control component which is electrically connected to the TEC to supply power to the TEC and to regulate the charge polarity of the power input.

9. The pad of claim 8 further comprising a cold/hot pad, cold/hot conduction case or any packaging with heat conducting capabilities.

10. The pad of claim 8 wherein the power control component further comprises a power supply and a power switch.

11. The pad of claim 10 wherein the said power supply provides electricity to the TEC, the said power switch regulates the charge polarity of the power input, for the TEC to achieve cooling or heating effect based on the polarity of the power input.

12. The pad of claim 8 wherein the cold/hot pad further comprises a temperature control device to adjust the degree of cooling or heating of the TEC.

13. The pad of claim 12 wherein the temperature control device is a variable resistor.

14. The pad of claim 12 wherein the temperature control device further comprises a DC power switch and a sensor.

15. The pad of claim 8 further comprising a fixing device to secure the cold/hot pad at a fixed body part.

16. The pad of claim 8 wherein the said power control component and the cooling device are further installed on different base boards connected via a wire to lessen the weight burden on users since the cooling device is worn separated from the power control component.