Patent Application
20250072537
The invention relates to the field of cooling technology, specifically to a cooling device and a cooling garment using the same.
A Thermo Electric Cooler (TEC) is made using the Peltier effect of semiconductor materials. The Peltier effect refers to the phenomenon where one end absorbs heat and the other end releases heat when a direct current passes through a thermocouple made of two types of semiconductor materials. Heavily doped N-type and P-type bismuth telluride are mainly used as semiconductor materials for TECs. Bismuth telluride elements are connected in series electrically and parallel in terms of heating. A TEC includes several pairs (groups) of P-type and N-type semiconductors connected together by electrodes and sandwiched between two ceramic electrodes. When a current flows through the TEC, the heat generated by the current transfers from one side of the TEC to the other, creating a “hot” side (i.e., the hot surface) and a “cold” side (i.e., the cold surface) on the TEC, which is the principle of heating and cooling in TECs.
The Chinese invention patent application with application number 202210118589.X discloses a cooling device and a cooling garment using the same. The cooling device includes a housing, a TEC heating and cooling module installed in the housing, a fan, and a control circuit board. The TEC heating and cooling module includes a TEC cooling chip installed in the housing, and first and second thermal conductors respectively provided on the cold and hot surfaces of the TEC cooling chip. The housing has an air inlet corresponding to the position of the fan, an exhaust port corresponding to the second thermal conductor, and a hot and cold air outlet corresponding to the first thermal conductor. When the fan is working, it draws air into the housing through the air inlet and blows it towards the first and second thermal conductors. Warm air formed after passing through the second thermal conductor is expelled from the exhaust port, and cold air formed after passing through the first thermal conductor is expelled from the hot and cold air outlet. The control circuit board switches the polarity of the power supply of the TEC cooling chip to exchange the cold and hot surfaces, making the cold air formed after passing through the second thermal conductor expelled from the exhaust port, and the warm air formed after passing through the first thermal conductor expelled from the hot and cold air outlet.
However, the above-mentioned cooling device has only one set of air inlets and one set of exhaust ports, both set on the same plane of the housing. When the cooling device is applied to clothing to form a cooling garment, both the air inlet and exhaust port are exposed to the outside, with only the hot and cold air outlet extending into the clothing to directly discharge cold or warm air into the clothing. This design cannot achieve internal circulation of cool air, especially in the hot summer when the outside temperature is high. When the cooling device is cooling, the fan draws outside air through the air inlet into the housing and blows it towards the first and second thermal conductors. Warm air formed after passing through the second thermal conductor is expelled from the exhaust port to dissipate heat, allowing the TEC cooling chip to cool, and cold air formed after passing through the first thermal conductor is expelled from the hot and cold air outlet to blow cool air into the clothing and cool the body. However, the outside air temperature is high, so the air drawn into the housing is also high, leading to low cooling efficiency of the device and inability to produce colder air, making it less comfortable for the user and inconvenient to use.
In view of this, the inventor proposes the following technical solution.
The objective of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a cooling device and a cooling garment using the cooling device.
To solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following first technical solution: The cooling device includes a housing, a TEC cooling module installed in the housing, and a fan. The housing is equipped with an air intake chamber and an air outlet chamber that are connected. The fan is installed in the air intake chamber; the TEC cooling module is installed in the air outlet chamber, forming a cold air channel and a hot air channel within the air intake chamber. The two sides of the lower end surface of the housing are respectively provided with a natural air intake port and a heat exhaust port. The natural air intake port communicates with the air intake chamber and corresponds to the fan, while the heat exhaust port communicates with the hot air channel. One side of the upper end surface of the housing is provided with a cold air outlet communicating with the cold air channel, and the other side of the upper end surface of the housing is provided with a cold air inlet communicating with the air intake chamber. The cold air inlet corresponds to the fan, making the air intake chamber a mixed chamber for hot and cold air.
Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the upper end of the housing is equipped with a cold-conducting metal shell, forming a cold air chamber between the metal shell and the housing. The cold air chamber communicates with the cold air outlet and the cold air channel. The cold air inlet and cold air outlet are distributed outside the metal shell.
Additionally, in the above technical solution, the cross-section of the metal shell is an upwardly convex arc.
Moreover, in the above technical solution, the rear side of the air outlet chamber is provided with a V-shaped partition plate. The upper side of the partition plate and the upper part of the air outlet chamber form the cold air channel, while the lower side of the partition plate and the lower part of the air outlet chamber form the hot air channel.
Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the housing comprises a bottom shell, a middle shell installed at the upper end of the bottom shell, and a face shell installed at the upper end of the middle shell. The metal shell is detachably mounted on the face shell. The air intake chamber and air outlet chamber are formed between the bottom shell and the middle shell; the cold air chamber is formed between the lower end surfaces of the face shell and metal shell and the upper end surface of the middle shell.
Additionally, in the above technical solution, a cold air intake chamber is also installed between the face shell and the middle shell, and the face shell is provided with an air guide port penetrating the cold air intake chamber. The cold air inlet is installed on the middle shell and communicates with the cold air intake chamber.
Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the TEC cooling module comprises a TEC cooling chip installed in the housing, a cold conductor provided on the cold surface of the TEC cooling chip, and a heat conductor provided on the hot surface of the TEC cooling chip. The cold conductor corresponds to the cold air channel, and the heat conductor corresponds to the hot air channel.
Additionally, in the above technical solution, the housing periphery is provided with an installation flange, and the installation flange is provided with connection holes for passing Velcro or straps.
To solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following second technical solution: The cooling garment using the cooling device includes clothing, the aforementioned cooling device, and a mobile power supply for powering the cooling device. The natural air intake port and heat exhaust port of the cooling device are exposed outside the clothing. The cold air outlet and cold air inlet of the cooling device are exposed in the gap between the inner wall of the clothing and the body. The cooling device generates cold air through the fan and TEC cooling module, which is blown out from the cold air inlet into the gap between the inner wall of the clothing and the body, and then re-enters the cooling device from the cold air inlet, forming an internal cooling circulation.
Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the metal shell installed on the cooling device contacts the body, making the cold air outlet and cold air inlet non-contact with the body, thus ensuring the cold air outlet and cold air inlet are unobstructed. The cooling device is installed on the clothing, which has a window for exposing the cooling device. The housing of the cooling device passes through the window and is exposed outside the clothing, with the inner wall of the window fitting around the housing periphery. The clothing is equipped with Velcro, which passes through the connection holes of the mounting flange on the outside of the cooling device, fixing the cooling device inside the clothing and forming a detachable structure.
By adopting the above technical solutions, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The cooling device of the present invention adds a cold air inlet on one side of the upper end surface of the housing that communicates with the air intake chamber. The cold air inlet corresponds to the fan, making the air intake chamber a mixed chamber for hot and cold air. When using the cooling device installed inside an object (such as clothing) to provide cool air inside the object, the fan draws natural air from the outside into the air intake chamber through the natural air intake port while simultaneously drawing cool air inside the object into the air intake chamber through the cold air inlet. The natural air and cool air mix in the air intake chamber to form mixed air with a temperature lower than the natural air, which is then transmitted to the TEC cooling module in the air outlet chamber. The TEC cooling module cools the mixed air, producing colder air, which is blown out through the cold air outlet to provide cool air inside the object, achieving internal cooling circulation. This not only improves the cooling effect of the TEC cooling module and reduces its energy consumption but also provides colder air to meet usage requirements, giving the present invention a strong market competitiveness.
The present invention will be further explained in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.
As shown in
The housing 1 is provided with an air intake chamber 101 and an air outlet chamber 102 that are connected. The fan 3 is installed in the air intake chamber 101; the TEC cooling module 2 is installed in the air outlet chamber 102, forming a cold air channel 103 and a hot air channel 104 within the air intake chamber 101. The two sides of the lower end surface of the housing 1 are respectively provided with a natural air intake port 105 and a heat exhaust port 106. The natural air intake port 105 communicates with the air intake chamber 101 and corresponds to the fan 3, while the heat exhaust port 106 communicates with the hot air channel 104. One side of the upper end surface of the housing 1 is provided with a cold air outlet 107 that communicates with the cold air channel 103. In operation, the fan 3 draws natural air from outside the object through the natural air intake port 105 into the air intake chamber 101 and transports it to the TEC cooling module 2 in the air outlet chamber 102. The TEC cooling module 2 cools part of the natural air to form cold air, which is then blown out through the cold air outlet 107 to provide cool air inside the object. Simultaneously, the TEC cooling module 2 generates heat during cooling, and the remaining natural air blows the heat through the hot air channel 104 and expels it from the heat exhaust port 106 to the outside of the object, achieving heat dissipation. This allows the TEC cooling module 2 to perform its cooling function and enhances the cooling efficiency of the TEC cooling module 2.
To further improve the cooling efficiency of the present invention, the following improvements have been made: The other side of the upper end surface of the housing 1 is provided with a cold air inlet 108 that communicates with the air intake chamber 101. The cold air inlet 108 corresponds to the fan 3, making the air intake chamber 101 a mixed chamber for hot and cold air. In other words, in use, the cooling device is installed inside an object (such as clothing) to provide cool air to the inside of the object. Specifically, after the cooling device operates to provide cool air inside the object, the fan 3 not only draws natural air from outside the object through the natural air intake port 105 into the air intake chamber 101 but also draws cool air from inside the object through the cold air inlet 108 into the air intake chamber 101. The cool air and natural air mix in the air intake chamber 101 to form mixed air with a temperature lower than that of natural air, which is then blown towards and transported to the TEC cooling module 2 in the air outlet chamber 102. This allows the TEC cooling module 2 to convert the mixed air, which has a temperature lower than that of natural air, into even colder air. The cold air is then blown out through the cold air outlet 107 after passing through the cold air channel 103, providing cool air inside the object. This achieves internal cooling circulation, improving the cooling efficiency of the TEC cooling module 2, reducing the energy consumption of the TEC cooling module 2, and providing colder air to meet usage requirements, thereby giving the present invention strong market competitiveness.
The upper end of the housing 1 is provided with a cold-conducting metal shell 4. A cold air chamber 40 is formed between the metal shell 4 and the housing 1. The cold air chamber 40 communicates with the cold air outlet 107 and the cold air channel 103. The cold air inlet 108 and cold air outlet 107 are distributed outside the metal shell 4. When the cooling device of the present invention is used in clothing, the metal shell 4 contacts the skin, providing a cooling effect when the cooling device 100 is cooling relative to the body. Some cold air remains in the cold air chamber 40 to cool the metal shell 4, making the metal shell 4 relatively cooler. When the metal shell 4 contacts the skin, it provides a cooling sensation, enhancing the cooling effect and improving the user experience.
The cross-section of the metal shell 4 is an upwardly convex arc, which better contacts the skin, ensuring that the cold air outlet 107 and cold air inlet 108 do not contact the body, thus keeping the cold air outlet 107 and cold air inlet 108 unobstructed and allowing the cooling device 100 to better achieve internal cooling circulation.
The rear side of the air outlet chamber 102 is provided with a V-shaped partition plate 10. The upper side of the partition plate 10 and the upper part of the air outlet chamber 102 form the cold air channel 103, while the lower side of the partition plate 10 and the lower part of the air outlet chamber 102 form the hot air channel 104. The partition plate 10 divides the rear side of the air outlet chamber 102 into mutually isolated cold air channel 103 and hot air channel 104. The assembly structure is simple and easy to install.
The housing 1 comprises a bottom shell 11, a middle shell 12 installed at an upper end of the bottom shell 11, and a face shell 13 installed at an upper end of the middle shell 12. The metal shell 4 is detachably mounted on the face shell 13. The air intake chamber 101 and air outlet chamber 102 are formed between the bottom shell 11 and the middle shell 12. The cold air chamber 40 is formed between the lower end surfaces of the face shell 13 and metal shell 4 and the upper end surface of the middle shell 12.
A cold air intake chamber 121 is also installed between the face shell 13 and the middle shell 12. The face shell 13 is provided with an air guide port 131 penetrating the cold air intake chamber 121. The cold air inlet 108 is installed on the middle shell 12 and communicates with the cold air intake chamber 121.
The TEC cooling module 2 comprises a TEC cooling chip 21 installed inside the housing 1, a cold conductor 22 provided on the cold surface of the TEC cooling chip 21, and a heat conductor 23 provided on the hot surface of the TEC cooling chip 21. The cold conductor 22 corresponds to the cold air channel 103, ensuring that the cold air formed by the cooling effect of the cold conductor 22 directly enters the cold air channel 103. The heat conductor 23 corresponds to the hot air channel 104, ensuring that the hot air formed by the heat conductor 23 directly enters the hot air channel 104, carrying away the heat from the heat conductor 23.
The housing 1 periphery is provided with an installation flange 14, and the installation flange 14 is provided with connection holes 141 for passing Velcro or straps.
In summary, the present invention adds a cold air inlet 108 on one side of the upper end surface of the housing 1 that communicates with the air intake chamber 101. The cold air inlet 108 corresponds to the fan 3, making the air intake chamber 101 a mixed chamber for hot and cold air. In use, the cooling device is installed inside an object (such as clothing) to provide cool air inside the object. Specifically, after the cooling device operates to provide cool air inside the object, the fan 3 not only draws natural air from outside the object through the natural air intake port 105 into the air intake chamber 101 but also draws cool air from inside the object through the cold air inlet 108 into the air intake chamber 101. The cool air and natural air mix in the air intake chamber 101 to form mixed air with a temperature lower than that of natural air, which is then blown towards and transported to the TEC cooling module 2 in the air outlet chamber 102. This allows the TEC cooling module 2 to convert the mixed air, which has a temperature lower than that of natural air, into even colder air. The cold air is then blown out through the cold air outlet 107 after passing through the cold air channel 103, providing cool air inside the object. This achieves internal cooling circulation, improving the cooling efficiency of the TEC cooling module 2, reducing the energy consumption of the TEC cooling module 2, and providing colder air to meet usage requirements, thereby giving the present invention strong market competitiveness.
As shown in
In operation, when the cooling device 100 inside the clothing 5 operates, the fan 3 draws natural air from outside the clothing 5 through the natural air intake port 105 into the air intake chamber 101. The fan 3 also draws air from the gap between the inner wall of the clothing 5 and the body through the cold air inlet 108 into the air intake chamber 101. The cool air and natural air mix in the air intake chamber 101 to form mixed air with a temperature lower than that of natural air, which is then blown towards and transported to the TEC cooling module 2 in the air outlet chamber 102. The TEC cooling module 2 cools part of the mixed air to form cold air, which is then blown out through the cold air outlet 107 after passing through the cold air channel 103, providing cool air inside the object. Simultaneously, the TEC cooling module 2 generates heat during cooling, and the remaining mixed air blows the heat through the hot air channel 104 and expels it from the heat exhaust port 106 to the outside of the object, achieving heat dissipation. This allows the TEC cooling module 2 to perform its cooling function and enhances the cooling efficiency of the TEC cooling module 2. When cold air is formed inside the clothing 5, it cools the body, making it more comfortable for the user. When the cooling device 100 continues to operate, the fan 3 draws natural air from outside the clothing 5 through the natural air intake port 105 into the air intake chamber 101. The fan 3 also draws cool air from the gap between the inner wall of the clothing 5 and the body through the cold air inlet 108 into the air intake chamber 101. The cool air and natural air mix in the air intake chamber 101 to form mixed air with a temperature lower than that of natural air, which is then blown towards and transported to the TEC cooling module 2 in the air outlet chamber 102. This allows the TEC cooling module 2 to convert the mixed air, which has a temperature lower than that of natural air, into even colder air. The cold air is then blown out through the cold air outlet 107 after passing through the cold air channel 103, providing cool air inside the object. This achieves internal cooling circulation, improving the cooling efficiency of the TEC cooling module 2, reducing the energy consumption of the TEC cooling module 2, and providing colder air to meet usage requirements, thereby giving the present invention strong market competitiveness.
The metal shell 4 installed on the cooling device 100 contacts the body, ensuring that the cold air outlet 107 and cold air inlet 108 do not contact the body, thus keeping the cold air outlet 107 and cold air inlet 108 unobstructed and allowing the cooling device 100 to better achieve internal cooling circulation. Simultaneously, the metal shell 4 contacts the skin, and when the cooling device 100 provides cooling relative to the body, some cold air remains in the cold air chamber 40, cooling the metal shell 4. The metal shell 4, being relatively cooler, contacts the skin and provides a cooling sensation, enhancing the cooling effect and improving the user experience.
The cooling device 100 is installed on the clothing 5. The clothing 5 is also provided with a window 51 for exposing the cooling device 100. The housing 1 of the cooling device 100 passes through the window 51 and is exposed outside the clothing 5. The inner wall of the window 51 fits around the housing 1 periphery. To further improve the sealing of the cooling device 100 and the clothing 5, double-sided tape or other connectors can be added between the clothing 5 and the installation flange 14, making the cooling device 100 and the clothing 5 more tightly sealed, further enhancing the cooling effect.
The clothing 5 is equipped with Velcro, which passes through the connection holes 141 of the installation flange 14 on the outside of the cooling device 100, fixing the cooling device 100 inside the clothing 5 and forming a detachable structure. The clothing 5 is provided with a pocket 53, where the mobile power supply 6 is stored.
Of course, the above descriptions are only specific embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. Any equivalent variations or modifications made based on the structure, features, and principles described in the patent scope of the present invention should be included within the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023223555485 | Aug 2023 | CN | national |
