Patent Application
20220018588
The present general inventive concept relates generally to a storage device, and particularly, to a hybrid cooling storage device.
Many people travel with beverages in a vehicle over long distances. However, long distance travel is difficult when the drinks are still in liquid form. They can easily be spilled in the vehicle if the people encounter rugged terrain. Moreover, the spilled beverage can damage an interior of the vehicle and/or any apparel.
Also, drinks can become hot and unpleasant after traveling for long periods of time, which causes the consumer to have a less enjoyable drinking experience.
A conventional cooler is a portable storage device to store and/or transport food and/or drinks therein. Some coolers have foam to keep a temperature inside cold. Still, other coolers use a fan or other air dispersion means to circulate air within an interior portion of the cooler. Unfortunately, air cooling depends on an efficient air blower, such as a fan. Also, if the temperature of surrounding air is too hot, it doesn't matter how much air the fan is blowing.
Therefore, there is a need for a hybrid cooling storage device that uses liquid as well as air for cooling.
The present general inventive concept provides a hybrid cooling storage device.
Additional features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.
The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a hybrid cooling storage device, including a main body to store at least one item therein, a lid pivotally disposed on at least a portion of the main body to cover an interior portion of the main body, and a hybrid cooling unit disposed on and within at least a portion of the main body, including a liquid conduit disposed within at least a portion of each side of the main body to transport a liquid therein, a conduit connector connected to a first end and a second end of the liquid conduit to dissipate heat from the liquid received from the liquid conduit, a peltier plate disposed on at least a portion of the conduit connector to create a difference in temperature between a first side and a second side of the peltier plate, such that the first side is cold and the second side is hot, a heat sink disposed on at least a portion of the peltier plate to dissipate heat generated on the peltier plate, and a fan disposed on at least a portion of the heat sink to extract heat from the heat sink via a rotation of the fan.
The hybrid cooling storage device may further include a liquid pump connected to at least a portion of the liquid conduit to move the liquid through the liquid conduit.
The hybrid cooling storage device may further include a liquid condensation unit connected to at least a portion of the liquid conduit to cool hot air released from at least one of the conduit connector, the peltier plate, and the heat sink using the liquid conduit, such that the liquid condensation unit generates and collects liquid droplets formed on an outer surface of the liquid conduit.
These and/or other features and utilities of the present generally inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Various example embodiments (a.k.a., exemplary embodiments) will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which some example embodiments are illustrated. In the figures, the thicknesses of lines, layers and/or regions may be exaggerated for clarity.
Accordingly, while example embodiments are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the figures and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit example embodiments to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure. Like numbers refer to like/similar elements throughout the detailed description.
It is understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.).
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art. However, should the present disclosure give a specific meaning to a term deviating from a meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill, this meaning is to be taken into account in the specific context this definition is given herein.
The hybrid cooling storage device 100 may be constructed from at least one of metal, plastic, wood, ceramic, glass, foam, and rubber, etc., but is not limited thereto.
The hybrid cooling storage device 100 may include a main body 110, a lid 120, a hybrid cooling unit 130, a liquid pump 140, a liquid condensation unit 150, and a power source 160, but is not limited thereto.
Referring to
The main body 110 may be constructed to have foam disposed within at least a portion of each side of the main body 110 to maintain a cool temperature therein. As such, the main body 110 may store at least one item therein, such that the at least one item, such as ice, a frozen beverage, and/or a frozen liquid may not melt while disposed within the main body 110.
The main body 110 may include an aperture 111, at least one groove 112, and a liquid extraction portion 113, but is not limited thereto.
The aperture 111 may allow the at least one item to be inserted into the main body 110.
Referring again to
The liquid extraction portion 113 may facilitate extraction of another liquid stored within the main body 110. More specifically, the liquid extraction portion 113 may be an aperture connected to an interior portion of the main body 110, such that any liquid accumulation may flow out from the liquid extraction portion 113. Also, the liquid extraction portion 113 may include a door, such that the door may be closed to prevent access therein.
The lid 120 may include a groove 121 and a lid recess 122, but is not limited thereto.
The lid 120 may be pivotally disposed on at least a portion of a top surface of the main body 110. The lid 120 may cover the interior portion of the main body 110. Moreover, the lid 120 may be moved from covering the main body 110 in a first position (i.e. closed) to at least partially away from the main body 110 in a second position (i.e. opened). Alternatively, the lid 120 may be removably disposed, such that the lid 120 may be removed completely from the main body 110.
Furthermore, the lid 120 may be constructed to have foam to maintain a cool temperature while covering the interior portion of the main body 110.
The groove 121 of the lid 120 may facilitate gripping thereof, such that the lid 120 may be moved.
The lid recess 122 may be a recessed surface with respect to a bottom surface of the lid 120. In other words, the lid recess 122 may provide extra space within the interior portion of the main body 110 in response to closing the lid 120. For example, if the user stores a bottle that has a height exceeding the top surface of the main body 110, the lid recess 122 may receive at least a portion of the bottle therein.
The hybrid cooling unit 130 may include a liquid conduit 131, a conduit connector 132, a peltier plate 133, a heat sink 134, and a fan 135, but is not limited thereto.
The hybrid cooling unit 130 may be disposed on and/or within at least a portion of the main body 110.
The liquid conduit 131 may be disposed within at least a portion of each side of the main body 110. The liquid conduit 131 may store and/or transport a liquid (e.g., water) therein.
The conduit connector 132 may be constructed of aluminum to prevent and/or minimize conduction of heat.
The conduit connector 132 may include a first connection portion 132a and a second connection portion 132b, but is not limited thereto.
Each end of the liquid conduit 131 may connect to the conduit connector 132. In other words, a first end of the liquid conduit 131 may connect to the first connection portion 132a and a second end of the liquid conduit 131 may connect to the second connection portion 132b. The conduit connector 132 may dissipate heat from the liquid received from the liquid conduit 131.
The peltier plate 133 may include a first side 133a and a second side 133b, but is not limited thereto.
The peltier plate 133 may be disposed on at least a portion of the conduit connector 132 and/or at least a portion of the heat sink 134. The peltier plate 133 may use thermoelectric cooling via a peltier effect to create a heat flux from the conduit connector 132 and/or the heat sink 134. A voltage received on the peltier plate 133 may create a difference in temperature to form between the first side 133a and/or the second side 133b. Specifically, the first side 133a may remain cold and the second side 133b may be hot and/or have a hotter temperature with respect to the first side 133a.
The heat sink 134 may be disposed on at least a portion of the second side 133b of the peltier plate 133. The heat sink 134 may be constructed of aluminum to prevent and/or minimize conduction of heat on the peltier plate 133. In other words, the heat sink 134 may dissipate heat generated on the peltier plate 133.
The fan 135 may be disposed on at least a portion of the heat sink 134. The fan 135 may blow away from the heat sink 134 to extract heat and/or hot air from the heat sink 134 via a rotation of the fan 135.
As such, the hybrid cooling unit 130 may transport the liquid therein to remove heat from within the main body 110, such that the least one item does not melt and/or freezes.
The liquid pump 140 may include a motor, but is not limited thereto.
The liquid pump 140 may be connected to at least a portion of the liquid conduit 131. The liquid pump 140 may move the liquid through the liquid conduit 131 in response to rotation of the motor.
The liquid condensation unit 150 may include a surface condenser and a direct-contact condenser, but is not limited thereto.
The liquid condensation unit 150 may be disposed within at least a portion of the main body 110, and may be connected to at least a portion of the liquid conduit 131. As such, the liquid condensation unit 150 may the liquid conduit 131 to cool any hot air collected and/or released from the conduit connector 132, the peltier plate 133, and/or the heat sink 134. As such, the liquid condensation unit 150 may generate and collect any liquid droplets formed on an outer surface of the liquid conduit 131 to be dispersed within the main body 110. Therefore, the liquid condensation unit 150 may prevent and/or minimize heat generation within the main body 110.
Referring again to
The power source 160 may provide power to the hybrid cooling unit 130, the liquid pump 140, and/or the liquid condensation unit 150.
Therefore, the hybrid cooling storage device 100 may be a more efficient cooling device than a conventional cooler because it is not reliant on air for cooling.
The present general inventive concept may include a hybrid cooling storage device 100, including a main body 110 to store at least one item therein, a lid 120 pivotally disposed on at least a portion of the main body 110 to cover an interior portion of the main body 110, and a hybrid cooling unit 130 disposed on and within at least a portion of the main body 110, including a liquid conduit 131 disposed within at least a portion of each side of the main body 110 to transport a liquid therein, a conduit connector 132 connected to a first end and a second end of the liquid conduit 131 to dissipate heat from the liquid received from the liquid conduit 131, a peltier plate 133 disposed on at least a portion of the conduit connector 132 to create a difference in temperature between a first side and a second side of the peltier plate 133, such that the first side is cold and the second side is hot, a heat sink 134 disposed on at least a portion of the peltier plate 133 to dissipate heat generated on the peltier plate 133, and a fan 135 disposed on at least a portion of the heat sink 134 to extract heat from the heat sink 134 via a rotation of the fan 135.
The hybrid cooling storage device 100 may further include a liquid pump 140 connected to at least a portion of the liquid conduit 131 to move the liquid through the liquid conduit 131.
The hybrid cooling storage device 100 may further include a liquid condensation unit 150 connected to at least a portion of the liquid conduit 131 to cool hot air released from at least one of the conduit connector 132, the peltier plate 133, and the heat sink 134 using the liquid conduit 131, such that the liquid condensation unit 150 generates and collects liquid droplets formed on an outer surface of the liquid conduit 131.
Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
