Claims
- 1. A device for heating a first article and cooling a second article, said device comprising:
an enclosure; said enclosure comprising a hot compartment and a cold compartment; and a Stirling cooler; said Stirling cooler comprising a hot end and a cold end and wherein said hot end is positioned in communication with said hot compartment so as to heat said first article and wherein said cold end is positioned in communication with said cold compartment so as to cool said second article.
- 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said enclosure comprises an insulated divider positioned between said hot compartment and said cold compartment.
- 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said Stirling cooler comprises a regenerator positioned between said hot end and said cold end and wherein said regenerator is positioned within said insulated divider.
- 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said enclosure comprises a handle for carrying said enclosure.
- 5. The device of claim 1, wherein said cold end of said Stirling cooler comprises a cold end heat exchanger in communication therewith.
- 6. The device of claim 1, wherein said cold compartment comprises a Stirling cooler section with a fan.
- 7. The device of claim 6, wherein said cold compartment comprises a product section with a product support for positioning said second article thereon.
- 8. The device of claim 7, wherein said cold compartment comprises an airflow path for circulating air through said Stirling cooler section and said product section.
- 9. The device of claim 8, wherein said product support comprises a plurality of apertures therein in communication with said airflow path.
- 10. The device of claim 1, wherein said cold compartment comprises a sensor for determining the temperature therein, said sensor in communication with a controller.
- 11. The device of claim 10, wherein said enclosure comprises an external vent positioned adjacent to said cold compartment and wherein said controller is in communication with said external vent so as to open said external vent when the temperature within said cold compartment drops below a predetermined temperature.
- 12. The device of claim 10, wherein said enclosure comprises an external sensor for determining the external temperature, said external sensor in communication with said controller.
- 13. The device of claim 12, wherein said cold compartment comprises a Stirling cooler section, a product section, and a divider positioned therebetween.
- 14. The device of claim 13, wherein said divider comprises an internal vent therein, said internal vent comprising an open position to allow communication between said Stirling cooler section and said product section and a closed position blocking communication between said Stirling cooler section and said product section.
- 15. The device of claim 14, wherein said internal vent comprises a first internal vent positioned on a first side of said divider and a second internal vent positioned on a second side of said divider.
- 16. The device of claim 14, wherein the enclosure comprises a plurality of external vents and wherein said controller is in communication with said internal vent and said plurality of external vents so as to close said internal vent and so as to open said plurality of external vents when the temperature within said cold compartment drops below a predetermined temperature and the ambient temperature is below freezing.
- 17. The device of claim 1, wherein said hot end of said Stirling cooler comprises a hot end heat exchanger in communication therewith.
- 18. The device of claim 1, wherein said hot compartment comprises a Stirling cooler section with a fan.
- 19. The device of claim 18, wherein said hot compartment comprises a product section with a product support for positioning said first article thereon.
- 20. The device of claim 19, wherein said hot compartment comprises an airflow path for circulating air through said Stirling cooler section and said product section.
- 21. The device of claim 1, wherein said hot compartment comprises a sensor for determining the temperature therein.
- 22. The device of claim 21, wherein said enclosure comprises an external vent positioned adjacent to said hot compartment and wherein said sensor is in communication with said external vent so as to open said external vent when the temperature within said hot compartment rises above a predetermined temperature.
- 23. The device of claim 1, further comprising a wick extending from about said cold end of said Stirling cooler in said cold compartment to about said hot end of said Stirling cooler in said hot compartment.
- 24. The device of claim 23, wherein said cold compartment comprises a condensate collector positioned adjacent to said cold end of said Stirling cooler and said wick.
- 25. A Stirling cooler driven device for use with ambient temperatures above and below freezing, comprising:
an enclosure; said enclosure comprising a Stirling cooler section for positioning said Stirling cooler therein, a product section, and a divider positioned therebetween; said divider comprising an internal vent therein; and said enclosure comprising a plurality of external vents positioned adjacent to said Stirling cooler section.
- 26. The Stirling cooler driven device of claim 25, further comprising an internal temperature sensor positioned within said enclosure in communication with a controller and an external temperature sensor positioned on said enclosure in communication with said controller, said controller in communication with said interior vent and said plurality of external vents.
- 27. The Stirling cooler driven device of claim 26, wherein said controller opens at least a first one of said plurality of external vents when the temperature within said enclosure drops below a predetermined temperature and the ambient temperature is above freezing.
- 28. The Stirling cooler driven device of claim 26, wherein said controller closes said internal vent and opens said plurality of external vents when the temperature within said enclosure drops below a predetermined temperature and the ambient temperature is below freezing.
- 29. The Stirling cooler driven device of claim 28, wherein said predetermined temperature is below about thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (zero degrees Celsius).
- 30. The Stirling cooler driven device of claim 25, wherein said internal vent comprising an open position to allow communication between said Stirling cooler section and said product section and a closed position blocking communication between said Stirling cooler section and said product section.
- 31. The Stirling cooler device of claim 30, wherein said internal vent comprises a first internal vent positioned on a first side of said divider and a second internal vent positioned on a second side of said divider.
- 32. A device for heating a first article with a hot end of a Stirling cooler and cooling a second article with a cold end of the Stirling cooler, said device comprising:
a hot compartment with said hot end of said Stirling cooler positioned therein; a cold compartment with said cold end of said Stirling cooler positioned therein; a hot compartment vent positioned adjacent to said hot compartment; a cold compartment vent positioned adjacent to said cold compartment; a hot compartment sensor positioned within said hot compartment, said hot compartment sensor in communication with said hot compartment vent so as to open said hot compartment vent when the temperature within said hot compartment rises above a first predetermined temperature; and a cold compartment sensor positioned within said cold compartment, said cold compartment sensor in communication with said cold compartment vent so as to open said cold compartment vent when the temperature within said cold compartments falls below a second predetermined temperature.
- 33. A temperature-controlled device for use with an electrical receptacle of a vehicle, comprising:
a portable enclosure; said portable enclosure comprising an interior space to be heated or cooled; a Stirling cooler positioned about said enclosure and providing heating or cooling to said interior space; and an electrical line for powering said Stirling cooler via said electrical receptacle.
- 34. A heating and cooling device comprising:
an enclosure; said enclosure comprising a hot compartment and a cold compartment; a Stirling cooler; said Stirling cooler comprising a hot end heat exchanger positioned in communication with said hot compartment and a cold end heat exchanger positioned in communication with said cold compartment; said hot compartment comprising a fan therein positioned adjacent to said hot end heat exchanger; said cold compartment comprising a condensate collector therein positioned adjacent to said cold end heat exchanger so as to collect condensate from said cold end heat exchanger; and a wick, said wick extending from said condensate collector in said cold compartment to said hot compartment so as to wick condensate from said condensate collector to said hot compartment and so as to evaporate said condensate via an air stream produced by said fan.
- 35. A transportable apparatus comprising:
an insulated enclosure for containing a plurality of containers, said enclosure being mountable in a vehicle; a dispensing path defined by a pair of spaced members, said dispensing path being for receiving said plurality of containers in stacked relationship and for dispensing them sequentially from said apparatus; and a Stirling cooler, said Stirling cooler being powerable by said vehicle's electrical system.
- 36. The transportable apparatus of claim 35, wherein said enclosure comprises an inside, an outside and a outlet for dispensing said containers from said inside to said outside.
- 37. The transportable apparatus of claim 36, wherein said dispensing path comprises a first member positioned adjacent to said outlet, such that said containers in said dispensing path contact said first member before being dispensed through said outlet.
- 38. The transportable apparatus of claim 37, wherein said Stirling cooler comprises a hot portion and a cold portion and wherein said cold portion of said Stirling cooler is in heat transfer relationship with said first member
- 39. The transportable apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a second member, one end of said second member being connected in heat transfer relationship to said first member and the other end of said second member being connected in heat transfer relationship to said cold portion of said Stirling cooler.
- 40. A method comprising powering a Stirling cooler by a vehicle's electrical system, positioning a container to be dispensed from an enclosure in heat transfer relationship with said Stirling cooler, and transferring heat between said Stirling cooler and said container.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein said enclosure comprises a heat-conducting member such that said method further comprises the step of positioning said heat conducting member in heat transfer relationship with said Stirling cooler.
- 42. The method of claim 41, wherein said Stirling cooler comprises a cold end such that said method further comprises the step of positioning said cold end of said Stirling cooler in heat transfer relationship with said heat conducting member.
- 43. The method of claim 41, wherein said Stirling cooler comprises a hot end such that said method further comprises the step of positioning said hot end of said Stirling cooler in heat transfer relationship with said heat conducting member.
- 44. A method comprising contacting at least a portion of a container to be dispensed from an insulated enclosure disposed in a vehicle with a heat-conducting member before said container is dispensed from said enclosure, such that heat is transferred from said container to said heat-conducting member, said heat-conducting member being connected in heat transfer relationship to a cold portion of a Stirling cooler, said Stirling cooler being powered by an electrical system of said vehicle.
- 45. A transportable apparatus for containing a plurality of containers comprising:
an insulated enclosure; said enclosure positioned within a vehicle; said vehicle comprising an electrical system; and a Stirling cooler positioned in communication with said enclosure; said Stirling cooler in communication with said electrical system.
- 46. The transportable apparatus of claim 45, wherein said Stirling cooler comprises a cold end and a hot end and wherein said cold end is in communication with said enclosure
- 47. The transportable apparatus of claim 45, wherein said Stirling cooler comprises a cold end and a hot end and wherein said hot end is in communication with said enclosure
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/401,164, filed Sep. 22, 1999, now allowed, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/813,637, filed Mar. 21, 2001.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09401164 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09917230 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09813637 |
Mar 2001 |
US |
Child |
09917230 |
Jul 2001 |
US |