WO1988004758A1

WO1988004758A1 - Cool/warm container

Info

Publication number: WO1988004758A1
Application number: PCT/SE1987/000599
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pavel Cech
Original assignee: Pavel Cech
Priority date: 1986-12-15
Filing date: 1987-12-14
Publication date: 1988-06-30
Also published as: SE8605370L; AU1054188A; SE8605370D0

Abstract

The ability to cool down, heat up or maintain drinks and similar at a desired temperature is desirable in many contexts. One desired end in this respect is to have access to a cool/warm container, which can be purchased at low cost and which consumes a minimum of energy. A container of this kind has been made available through the invention. This container consists of a double-walled casing, at least the greater part of which is constituted by thermally conducting material. Inserted between the two conducting walls of the casing is a Peltier element, the warm side of which is in contact with one wall, and the cold side of which is in contact with the other wall, for the purpose of transporting thermal energy from the wall serving as a convection element on the cold side to the wall similarly serving as a convection element on the warm side.

Description

Cool/warm container

The present invention relates to a cool/warm container containing a so—called Peltier element for the transport of thermal energy from the inside of the container to its outside, or vice versa, whilst a current is being supplied^' to the Peltier element.

The principal object of the invention is to make available a container of the kind indicated above, which is given the greatest possible simplicity and operating reliability, at the same time as which it is capable of being produced at low cost, and is thus capable of securing widespread use, including in applications where the occasional heating, cooling or temperature maintenance of, for example, drinks are required. This object is achieved with a cool/warm container in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that the container is constructed from two wall layers situated at a certain distance from one another, intrinsically thermally conducting and thermally insulated from one another, one of which is in thermal connection with the atmosphere surrounding the box and forms at least the greater part of the external wall surface of the container, whilst the other is in thermal connection with the internal space of the container (the storage space) and forms at least the greater part of the internal wall surface of the container, in conjunction with which each of the aforementioned two wall layers is in thermal connection respectively with the warm and the cold side of the Peltier element, which Peltier element thus represents a thermal bridge between the two wall layers, which thus form the convection surfaces necessary for the function of the Peltier element.

An llustratⁱve embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a side view of a container for drinks storage executed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a iew from above of the container i I lustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the inner bottom component of the container; and

Fig. 6 is a corresponding plan view of the outer bottom component of the container.

The container illustrated in the drawing consists of two preferably extruded profiles 1 and 2, of which the profile 2 is arranged inside the profile 1 essentially concentrically with the latter. The inner profile 2 forms the side walls for the internal space of the container, that is to say its storage space. The inner profile 2 has a laterally extended cross—section, the end parts of which exhibit essentially circular form, and the circles of both end parts merge into one another via a somewhat constricted middle section. In Figs. 1 and 2 the container is shown to be holding a bottle 3 and a can 4 of essentially the same diameter, said diameter being somewhat smaller than the diameter of the end parts of the inner space. By this adaptation of the inner space to the objects 3, 4 which are to be stored therein, these are permitted to stand steadily in the container even if it is not filled. Furthermore the objects are surrounded by the smallest possible amount of air, giving rise to the smallest possible energy requirement. The outer profile 1 is shown in Fig. 4 to be provided with flanges 5 on one side. It is naturally also possible to execute the outer profile with flanges all the way round, should this be desirable. As may most clearly be appreciated from Fig. 3, the inner profile 2 is somewhat shorter than the outer profile 1. The top edges of both profiles are situated on a level with one another, whereas the bottom edge of the inner profile is situated at a higher level than that of the outer profile. The designation 6 is used in respect of an inner bottom component, the form of which may be appreciated most clearly from Fig. 5. The bottom component 6 has essentially the form of the cross—section of the inner profile and exhibits peripheral ears 7, in which are made holes 8 for securing the bottom component 6 to the inner profile 2 by means of screws or, possibly, rivets passing through the holes 8, which screws or rivets extend into recesses 9 formed in the profile 2. The recesses 9 are formed appropriately from the channel—shaped space between flanges extending in the longitudinal sense of the profile. The designation 10 is used in respect of an outer bottom, the form of which can be appreciated most clearly from Fig. 6. The outer bottom 10 has in it a number of securing holes 11 for the securing of the bottom to the outer profile by means of screws, which extend into recesses 12 formed between flanges extending along the inside of the profile 1. The periphery of the outer bottom 10 follows essentially the cross—section of the outer profile 1. The space between the two profiles is closed at the top by means of an annular cover 13, the form of which can be appreciated most clearly from Fig. 2. The cover 13 is secured by means of securing screws 14 or rivets, which extend into recesses 12 in the outer profile. The designation 15 is used in respect of a Peltier element in the form of a sheet, which is in contact on its outer side with a plane internal surface of the outer profile 1, and on its other side rests against a thermally conducting spacer plate 16, preferably made of aluminium, which in turn rests against a plane external surface on the inner profile 2. The two profiles 1, 2, the Peltier element 15 and the spacer plate 16 are held together by two screws 17 arranged vertically one above the other, one of which is arranged below the Peltier element and the other above it. The two screws 17 extend freely through holes made in the outer profile and into threaded holes in the inner profile. The screws 17 a re insulated from the profile 1 by means of spacers 24. The designation 18 is used in respect of electrical wires extending from the Peltier element, which wires terminate at the bottom as an electrical socket 19 for the connection of the box to an external voltage source. The two profiles 1 and 2 and the bottom component 6 are appropriately executed from a thermally conductⁱng material, such as aluminium. The bottom cover 10 and the top cover 13 a re appropriately executed from a material with a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, such as plastic. On the side opposite the Peltier element 15 the two profiles 1, 2 have viewing openings 20 and 21 arranged one outside the other, and a viewing window 22, preferably made of plexiglass, is introduced into the space between them. The rest of the space between the two profiles 1 and 2 is taken up by a thermally insulating material 23, which, for example,, may be a foam plastic injected through openings 24 in the bottom plate. Because the two profiles 1 and 2 are insulated from one another, and because the only opportunity which arises for thermal communication between the two profiles is via the thermal bridge formed by the Peltier element 15, the inner space inside the container can be cooled down or heated up depending on the selected polarity in the wires 18, which determines the position of the hot and cold side of the Peltier element 15. In one polarity position the hot side of the Peltier element will face outwards and will thus transfer thermal energy from the inside of the container to its outside; the opposite will be true when the polarity is reversed. The container can thus be used alternatively as a heating box or as a cooling b'ox, as the need arises.

The container illustrated here is intended for two bottles or metal cans containing a liquid, or for one of each. The scope of the invention also includes the possibility of giving the container some other form in the event of it being wished to store other types of object in it, or a larger or smaller number of objects. It is also possible to connect together a number of container units so as to form a system of containers.

The container illustrated in the drawings exhibits two principal components, these being the two profiles placed one inside the other, which thus serve simultaneously as heat exchanger, casing, enclosure, container, and, possibly, advertising medium. The extended heating and/or cooling surfaces eliminate the need for forced air circulation, which would demand fan equipment and other costly equipment. The invention is not restricted to the design described above simply as an example and illustrated in the drawings, which can be modified with regard to its detailed features within the^' scope of the following Patent Claims without in so doing departing from the underlying idea of invention.

Thus, within the scope of the invention, the inner and/or outer walls can consist of sections joined to one another, where only the important parts consist of thermally conducting material, whilst other parts could be made of any other suitable material. In addition, where greater volume is needed, a number of profile modules can be hooked one into the other. Several Peltier elements may possibly be included in the design for the purpose of suitable capacity adaptation.

Claims

P a t e n t C l a i m s

1. A cool/warm container comprising at least one so— —called Peltier etement C15) for the transport of thermal energy from the inside of the container to its outside, or vice versa, whilst a current is being supplied to the Peltier element, in conjunctⁱon with which the container is constructed from two wall layers (1, 2) situated at a certain distance from one another, intrinsically thermally conducting and thermally insulated from one another, one (1) of which is in thermal connection with the atmosphere surrounding the box and forms at least the greater part of the external wall surface of the container, whilst the other C2) is in thermal connection with the internal space of the container, the storage space, and forms at least the greater part of the internal wall surface of the container, in conjunction with which each of the aforementioned two wall layers is in thermal connection respectively with the warm and cold side of the Peltier element C15), which Peltier element thus represents a controllable thermal bridge between the two wall layers, which thus form the convection surfaces necessary for the function of the Peltier element, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the outer and inner upright waits of the container are formed respectively by hollow profiles (1, 2) produced by extrusion, which profiles are arranged one inside the other, in conjunction w^'th which the Peltier element (15) is arranged between these two profiles, in that the outer profile CD is provided on its outside with flanges C5) intended for heating and/or cooling purposes, and in that covers (6, 10, 13) closing the ends of the profiles are attached to the profiles (1, 2) by means of screws or rivets which extend into recesses 09, 12) present in the profiles (1, 2).

2. A cool/warm container ^n accordance with Patent Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d n that at least one or other of the upright walls of the container is formed from a metallⁱc hollow profile (1, 2), preferably of aluminium.

3. A cool/warm container in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the inner profile (2) exhibits less depth than the outer profile, in conjunction with which the profiles are closed at the bottom, each by means of its own bottom cover (6, 10), in such a way that a thermally insulating space is formed between the two bottom covers.

4. A cool/warm container in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the space between the outer and inner walls of the container is filled with thermally insulating foam (23), which is injected through holes (24) made in the wall of the container.

5. A cool/warm container in accordance with any of the precedping Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the Peltier element (15) is held securely clamped between the two profiles by means of screw connectors (17) extending between the profiles.

6. A cool/warm container in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that its

_^internal space is op'en towards the top and is adapted for the open accommodation of storage objects (3, 4), such as bottles, cans and similar, containing the fluid which is to be cooled, heated or maintained at a desired temperature.

7. A cool/warm container in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the space between the profiles is closed at the top by means of an annular cover (13) made of a material with a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, which cover is secured to both profiles.

8. A cool/warm container in accordance with Patent Claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the upper cover (13) is so executed internally as to follow at least partially the external contour of the object which is to be stored in the container.