Patent Application
20170108269
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0146250, filed Oct. 20, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a beverage keeping apparatus capable of cooling and warming.
Discussion of Related Art
Since conventional cup holders installed in vehicles or specific places serve only to fix cups to prevent contents contained in the cups from being spilled due to movements of the vehicles, there is a problem in that the contents contained in the cups, cans, or the like may not be cooled or warmed.
To solve such a problem of a conventional cup holder, although a cup holder capable of cooling and warming has been developed, there are problems in that an inner portion of the cup holder may not be easily controlled at various temperatures, and a cooling mode and a warming mode may not be simultaneously preformed.
Therefore, although a cup holder has been developed using a thermoelectric element, there is a demerit in that a conventional cup holder may not be easily attached or detached because of a built-in structure in which the cup holder is installed during a manufacturing.
In addition, when a cup holder is installed in a vehicle, since a size in which a cup holder is installed is different from a model of the vehicle, there is a problem in that a use range thereof is highly limited except for cup holders which are integrally manufactured with the vehicle.
The present invention is directed to providing a container accommodation apparatus having a structure capable of providing a cooling or a warming function to a container which accommodates a beverage using a heat absorption or heat generation function of a thermoelectric module, and capable of being installed in various places.
One aspect of the present invention provides a container accommodation apparatus which includes an accommodation unit including a container accommodation member configured to accommodate a container therein and a thermoelectric module which is disposed at an external surface of the container accommodation member and applies thermal conversion effect, an extension unit which is coupled to a lower portion of the accommodation unit, extends from an inside to an outside of a case member, and fixes and supports the accommodation unit, and a housing unit which includes a circulation control module which performs control of the thermoelectric module from an outside thereof.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, a container accommodation apparatus can be provided, wherein the container accommodation apparatus can provide cooling and warming functions in a container which accommodates a beverage using a heat absorption or heat generation function of a thermoelectric module and can be installed in various places.
Particularly, there are also effects in that versatility is obtained by including an extension unit capable of extending to fit various installation holes regardless of a diameter of a container accommodation member, and a stable fixing force can be obtained using an elastic member.
In addition, when a container accommodation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle, since the container accommodation apparatus can be separately detachably installed at a place of a cup holder provided in the vehicle, use convenience can be improved. In addition, since the container accommodation apparatus can be coupled to frames having various sizes, an insertion diameter of the container accommodation apparatus can be varied so that the container accommodation apparatus is easily installed in an existing cup holder in a conventional vehicle, and the container accommodation apparatus can be applied to various vehicle models.
In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by implementing a thermoelectric element which performs a heat generation or heat absorption function in a container accommodation portion in a stacked structure, thermal conductivity is decreased, electric conductivity is increased, and therefore cooling capacity (Qc) and temperature change ratio (ΔT) are significantly improved, a slimmer cup holder can be formed, and space efficiency can be improved.
Particularly, there are also effects in that electric conductivity can be maximized by including a conductive pattern layer between unit members of a stacked structure, and space use can be maximized since a thickness thereof is significantly thinned compared to a conventional bulk type thermoelectric element.
Hereinafter, a configuration and operations of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements, and thus the description thereof will not be repeated. Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another.
Referring to
By the above-described structure, the container accommodation apparatus (hereinafter referred to as ‘the present apparatus’) according to the embodiment of the present invention may implement a cup holder structure capable of implementing cooling and warming functions using the thermoelectric module, particularly, versatility may be obtained by installing an extension unit capable of extending to fit various installation holes regardless of diameters of installation places, and a stable fixing force may be realized using an elastic member.
The container accommodation member 210 is disposed in the accommodation unit 200, and the container accommodation member 210 formed with a hollow center is capable of receiving a thermal converting effect realized by the thermoelectric module 100. The container accommodation member 210 is provided with an accommodation portion in a shape whose inside is empty, and a cup or a beverage to be drunken later by a user may be inserted into the accommodation portion and a cooling or warming effect may be realized. To this end, the container accommodation member 210 may be formed of a metal, an alloy, or a synthetic resin material. In the present embodiment, the container accommodation member 210 which is formed of an aluminum material will be described as an example.
The container accommodation member 210 is formed in a cylindrical structure whose surface has curvature, and a part thereof is formed in a flat plate part so that a thermoelectric module seating portion 215 in which the thermoelectric module is installed is provided. That is, the thermoelectric module seating portion 215 having a flat plate shape is provided at a side surface of the container accommodation apparatus, and a heating portion or a heat absorption portion of the thermoelectric module 100 may be disposed to be pressed against the side surface. To improve the property of thermoelectric efficiency, the thermoelectric module 100 may be seated on the thermoelectric module seating portion 215 using thermal grease. Furthermore, as a first thermal insulation member 230 is disposed to be installed at an outer circumferential surface of the thermoelectric module seated on the thermoelectric module seating portion 215, thermal loss to the outside may be prevented. A hole region may be formed in the first thermal insulation member 230 so that the central portion of the first thermal insulation member 230 corresponds to an external shape of the thermoelectric module, and the first thermal insulation member 230 may be coupled by inserting the thermoelectric module into the hole region, and may be installed in the thermoelectric module seating portion 215. Furthermore, to increase heat dissipation efficiency of the thermoelectric module 100, a heat sink 190 may also be additionally attached onto a substrate of the thermoelectric module.
Furthermore, the accommodation unit 200 may further include a second thermal insulation member 220 for thermal insulation of an outer surface of the container accommodation member 210, and as illustrated in
In the present apparatus, a container such as a cup which accommodates a liquid such as a beverage is inserted into the accommodation portion of the container accommodation member 210, the present apparatus functions to heat the container, and an insulation place corresponding to a diameter of the cylindrical container accommodation member is needed for installing the present apparatus in a vehicle, a chair, or the like.
For example, when the present invention is installed in a vehicle, an installation groove which is slightly larger than a diameter of the cylindrical container accommodation member 210 must be installed. However, when such an installation groove is excessively larger than the diameter of the container accommodation member 210, the installation may be performed, but there is a problem in that the container accommodation member 210 is shaken and a beverage overflows or the container accommodation member 210 falls down. To this end, the present apparatus may further include the extension unit 300 coupled to a lower portion of the container accommodation member 210 to obtain a fixing force so that the present apparatus is capable of being widely applied to a space of an installation place.
In addition, the stopper member 320 may be formed to be capable of sliding and being inserted into the extension slots 311 and 312 having a through hole type structure formed on an outer wall of the case member 310, and specifically, the stopper member 320 may include a first member 322 which is inserted into an inside thereof from an outside of the case member 310 and in which a stopper pattern 326 is formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and a second member 324 which is formed at an end of the first member 322, is disposed at an outside of the case member 310, surrounds a part of the outer circumferential surface of the case member 310, and is larger than an outer diameter of the extension slot.
The first member 322 may be formed in a bar type structure to be easily inserted into or withdrawn from an inside of the case member 310, and a plurality of stopper patterns 326 having a sawlike protrusion shape may be formed at a side surface thereof. Furthermore, the second member 324 may be formed in a structure larger than the extension slot 311 and 312 to be caught by an outer wall surface of the case member when the first member 322 is inserted into the case member 310.
A pair of first members 322 may be provided as illustrated in
That is, as illustrated in
In addition, as illustrated in
Referring to
Particularly, in the external case 410, an upper support portion 415 may be disposed and a lower support portion 418 which supports the accommodation unit from a lower side may be disposed at a lower portion, and the accommodation unit in
The circulation control module 420 may include a controller (not shown) which supplies power to the thermoelectric module and controls a signal which drives a blower fan 430 and may be formed in the form of a circuit board including a plurality of passive elements or active elements. The blower fan 430 may be disposed at an inside of the external case 410, and when being coupled to the accommodation unit, may be disposed at a position facing the thermoelectric module, may perform a function of introducing air which has been introduced from the outside onto a heat sink of the thermoelectric module, and simultaneously, may circulate air in an inside of the apparatus. Furthermore, as the external case includes the control switches (442, 444; 440) of the circulation control module at one or more places, control convenience may be obtained.
In addition, as the lower support portion 418 includes a thermal insulation member 450 for thermal insulation and a container supporting plate 460 formed of a thermal conduction member, thermal insulation properties of the present apparatus is improved, and simultaneously, a thermal conversion effect of the thermoelectric module may be effectively transferred to the container accommodation member.
As illustrated in
Such a container accommodation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may be provided at various places or positions such as a seat in a vehicle or theater, and a beverage accommodation space of a conference table of a conference room, and may provide a holder having a structure capable of detachably installing in a separate type to improve convenience of use, simultaneously may be coupled to frames having various sizes, and therefore may have versatility of changing an insertion diameter to be easily installed in an existing cup holder.
The thermoelectric module including a thermoelectric semiconductor element (hereinafter referred to as a ‘thermoelectric element’) according to the embodiment of the present invention may be formed in a structure including at least one unit cell having a first substrate 140, a second substrate 150, and a second semiconductor element 130 electrically connected to a first semiconductor element 120 between the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150. In this case, the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150 may generally include an insulation board such as an alumina board in the case of a thermoelectric module for cooling, or in the case of the embodiment of the present invention, may include a metallic board to improve heat dissipation and to be formed in a thin film type. In a structure in
In addition, when the above-described first substrate 140 and second substrate 150 are formed of metallic boards, as illustrated in
In addition, in the case of the dielectric layers 170a and 170b, a material having a thermal conductivity of in a range of 5 to 10 W/K is used as a dielectric material having a high heat dissipation property in consideration of a thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric module for cooling, and a thickness may be in a range of 0.01 mm to 0.15 mm. In this case, when the thickness is less than 0.01 mm, insulation efficiency (or a property of withstanding voltage) is greatly decreased, and when the thickness is greater than 0.15 mm, thermal conductivity is decreased, and therefore heat dissipation efficiency is lowered.
The electrode layers 160a and 160b electrically connect the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element using an electrode material such as Cu, Ag, or Ni. The electrode layer may have a thickness in a range of 0.01 mm to 0.3 mm. When the electrode layer has a thickness less than 0.01 mm, a functional property as an electrode is lowered and electric conductivity becomes low, and when the electrode layer has a thickness greater than 0.3 mm, resistance increases and conductivity efficiency decreases.
In the case of the thermoelectric module according to the embodiment of the present invention, when a thermoelectric element having the structure in
In the above-described process, a process in which a semiconductor paste is coated on the member 111 may be realized by various methods, for example, a tape casting method, that is, by mixing a very fine semiconductor powder, a water soluble or insoluble solvent, and any one selected from a binder, a plasticizer, a dispersant, a defoamer, and a surfactant to manufacture a slurry, and formed to have a predetermined thickness on a moving blade or a transferring member according to an objective. In this case, the member may include a material such as a film and a sheet having a thickness in a range of 10 μm to 100 μm, and the coated semiconductor material may include a P-type semiconductor or an N-type semiconductor. In such a P-type semiconductor or an N-type semiconductor, the N-type semiconductor element may be formed with a mixture in which a main raw material formed of a bismuth (Bi) telluride (Te)-based material including selenium (Se), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium (Ga), tellurium (Te), bismuth (Bi), or indium (In), and Bi or Te whose amount corresponds to a range of 0.001 to 1.0 wt % of an entire weight of the main raw material are mixed. For example, the N-type semiconductor element may be formed by adding Bi or Te whose amount is in a range of 0.001 to 1.0 wt % of an entire weight of Bi—Se—Te which is a main raw material thereof. That is, when 100 g of Bi—Se—Te is input, it is preferable that Bi or Te of in a range of 0.001 g to 1.0 g be input additionally. As described above, it is significant that thermal conductivity may not be lowered, electric conductivity may be lowered, and therefore improvement of ZT value may not be expected when an amount of a material added to the above-described main raw material is out of a range of 0.001 wt % to 0.1 wt % thereof.
It is preferable that the P-type semiconductor element be formed with a mixture in which a main raw material formed of a BiTe-based material including Sb, Ni, Al, Cu, Ag, Pb, B, Ga, Te, Bi, and In, and Bi or Te whose amount is in a range of 0.001 to 1.0 wt % of an entire weight of the main raw material are mixed. For example, the P-type semiconductor element may be formed by adding Bi or Te whose amount is in a range of 0.001 to 1.0 wt % of an entire weight of Bi—Se—Te which is a main raw material thereof. That is, when 100 g of Bi—Se—Te is input, Bi or Te whose amount is in a range of 0.001 g to 1.0 g may be input additionally. It is significant that thermal conductivity may not be lowered, electric conductivity may be lowered, and therefore improvement of ZT value may not be expected when an amount of a material added to the above-described main raw material is out of a range of 0.001 wt % to 0.1 wt % thereof.
In addition, a process in which the unit members 110 are stacked by aligning in multiple layers may be performed by pressing the unit members 110 at a temperature in a range of 50° C. to 250° C. and a stacked structure may be formed. In the present embodiment, the number of stacked unit members 110 may be in a range of 2 to 50. After that, a cutting process may be performed for a desired shape and size, and a sintering process may be added.
The unit element formed by stacking the plurality of unit members 110 manufactured according to the above-described process may have a uniform thickness and a uniform shape. That is, in a conventional thermoelectric element having a bulk type, since a sintered bulk structure is cut after ingot pulverizing and fine ball-mill processes, much material is lost in the cutting process and it is also difficult to cut to a uniform thickness and to make a thin film type due to a thick thickness of in a range of 3 mm to 5 mm. However, in the unit element having the stacked structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, since a sheet stacked structure is cut after multiple layers of unit members having a sheet type are stacked, there is almost no material loss, uniformity of a material may be obtained because the material has a uniform thickness, the material may have a thin film type because a total thickness of the unit elements is also 1.5 mm or less, and the material may be applied in various shapes.
Particularly, in a manufacturing process of the unit element according to the embodiment of the present invention, the process in which the stacked structure of the unit member 110 is formed may further include a process in which a conductive layer is formed on each surface of the unit members 110. That is, the conductive layer such as a structure in
That is,
The conductive layer may be formed of a metal material, and all metal based electrode materials having materials such as Cu, Ag, and Ni may be applied thereto.
When the thermoelectric element of the structure in
Specific embodiments of the preset invention have been described above in detail. The embodiments can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined not by the described embodiments but by the appended claims, and encompasses equivalents that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2015-0146250 | Oct 2015 | KR | national |
