TREA

THERMOSTAT MODULE

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Information

  • Patent Application
  • 20150211805
  • Publication Number
    20150211805
  • Date Filed
    January 29, 2014
    10 years ago
  • Date Published
    July 30, 2015
    9 years ago
Information
Abstract
A thermostat module, applied in an airflow device, includes a main body and at least one energy storage component, and the main body has a containing space and a first air vent and a second air vent communicated with the containing space, and the airflow device is configured corresponding to the first air vent. The energy storage component includes a fixing element and at least one energy storage element, and the fixing element is detachably coupled to a frame, so that the energy storage component is accommodated in the containing space. The quantity of energy storage components can be increased or decreased by assembling, so that the thermostat module has the effect of adjusting the quantity of energy storage elements conveniently.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a thermostat module, and more particularly to the thermostat module for cold storage or thermal storage.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During summer or in a room with a relatively high daytime temperature, air conditioners or cold fans are used for discharging cold wind to lower the temperature. During winter or in a room with a relatively low nighttime temperature, heaters or hot fans are used for discharging hot wind to increase the temperature. Regardless of the type of airflow devices discharging cold wind or hot wind, most of them are used in peak time.


Recently, a thermostat device was developed, and such thermostat device includes an energy storage material that can store energy at off-peak time, and the airflow device and energy storage material are used together at off-peak time, so that the thermostat device has the effect of blowing out cold wind or hot wind, and the quantity of energy storage material determines the degree of hotness or coldness to achieve the thermostat effect.


The thermostat device is configured corresponding to the airflow device, so that an airflow produced by the airflow device is in contact with the energy storage material, and the cooled or heated airflow flows into an indoor environment to increase or decrease the indoor environmental temperature. Therefore, it is one of the necessary functions of the thermostat device to increase or decrease the quantity of the energy storage material in order to maintain the room temperature at a predetermined value.


In view of the aforementioned problem, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally designed and provided a feasible solution.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention is to provide a thermostat module that uses an energy storage component that can be assembled to increase or decrease its quantity, so that the thermostat module achieves the effect of adjusting the quantity of the energy storage element conveniently.


Accordingly, the present invention provides a thermostat module used in an airflow device, and the thermostat module comprises: a main body, having a containing space, and a first air vent and a second air vent communicated with the containing space, and the airflow device is configured corresponding to the first air vent; and at least one energy storage component, wherein a fixing element is detachably coupled to a frame, so that the energy storage component is accommodated in the containing space.


The present invention further has the following effects:


1. The energy storage material is capable of storing a large quantity of heat, so that the energy storage element keeps cooling or warming an airflow that passes through the energy storage element, and the energy storage element can store energy at off-peak time, and users can use the energy at peak time to achieve the effects of improving the efficiency of energy use and saving on electricity bills.


2. The arranged quantity of each energy storage component is increased or decreased as needed by an assembling method, so that the thermostat capability of the thermostat module has weak, middle and strong effects, and the temperature of the outputted airflow also has the weak, middle and strong effects.


3. The energy storage element can be installed to or removed from a hanging element to facilitate users to change the energy storage element.


4. If there are plural energy storage elements of the energy storage component, and the energy storage elements are connected serially and stacked onto the hanging element, the energy storage components can be arranged side by side with one another, so that the quantity of energy storage elements in a single energy storage component can be adjusted as needed to let a single energy storage component have the weak, middle and strong thermostat effects, or the quantity of parallelly assembled energy storage components can be adjusted as needed to let the thermostat module have the weak, middle, and strong thermostat effects.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS


FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an energy storage component of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an energy storage component of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a thermostat module of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a thermostat module of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 5 is another sectional view of a thermostat module of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 6 is a further sectional view of a thermostat module of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a thermostat module of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a using status of an energy storage component of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an energy storage component of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an energy storage component of a four preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an energy storage component of a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an energy storage component of a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a using status of an energy storage component of the sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and



FIG. 14 is a schematic view of another using status of an energy storage component of the sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention.





DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical contents of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of preferred embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows.


With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 for a thermostat module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thermostat module is applied in an airflow device 100, and an airflow device 100 is capable of producing an airflow 101, and the thermostat module 10 comprises a main body 1 and a plurality of energy storage components 2.


The airflow device 100 is a fan such as an extraction fan or a suction fan.


In FIGS. 2 to 5, the main body 1 has a containing space 11, and a first air vent 12 and a second air vent 13 communicated with the containing space 11, and the airflow device 100 is configured corresponding to the first air vent 12. Wherein, the first air vent 12 and the second air vent 13 are formed at two opposite ends of the main body 1 respectively.


In addition, the main body 1 of this preferred embodiment is a frame 3, but the invention is not limited to such arrangement only. The frame 3 has a top 13 disposed at the top of containing space 11, and the top 14 has one or more hanging portions 15.


More specifically, the frame 3 further includes one or more covers 16, and the top 14 has one or more hollow slots 141 communicated with the containing space 11, and each cover 16 covers each respective hollow slot 141, and each hanging portion 15 is formed at the bottom 161 of each cover 16.


In addition, the airflow device 100 is separated from the frame 3, and the airflow device 100 is fixed in the frame 3, so that the frame 3 is a fixed frame or movable frame with respect to the airflow device 100. Wherein, this preferred embodiment discloses the airflow device 100 being fixed into the frame 3, and the frame 3 has a third air vent 17 configured corresponding to the airflow device 100, but the present invention is not limited to such arrangement only, and can be adjusted according to actual situation.


In FIG. 1, the energy storage component 2 comprises a fixing element 20 and one or more energy storage elements 22, and the energy storage element 22 is detachably coupled to the fixing element 20, and the fixing element 20 is detachably coupled to the frame 3, so that the energy storage component 2 is accommodated in the containing space 11. The fixing element 20 is preferably a hanging element 21, but not limited to such arrangement. The hanging element 21 may be assembled and hung onto the hanging portion 15.


Wherein, the energy storage element 22 includes a coldness or hotness storage material installed therein, and the energy storage element 22 is a geometric block such as a spherical block, a circular block, a cylindrical block, a rectangular block, a triangular block, a ring block, a rectangular ring block or a triangular ring block. Therefore, the shape of the energy storage element 22 is not limited by this preferred embodiment only.


In addition, an end of the hanging element 21 has a hook portion 211 that can be hung at a position corresponding to the hanging portion 15, so that the hanging element 21 can be assembled to or removed from the hanging portion 15 through the hook portion 211. Wherein, the shape of hook portion 211 is not limited to the hook shape, and it can be adjusted as needed.


In addition, the hanging element 21 is a hanging rod 212, and the energy storage element 22 has a penetrating hole 221, and the energy storage element 22 is sheathed on and fixed to the hanging rod 212 through the penetrating hole 221. In other words, the energy storage element 22 can be installed to or removed from the hanging element 21.


The hanging portion 15 and the energy storage component 2 come with a plural quantity, and the hanging portions 15 are arranged with an interval apart from each other on the top 14 and in a direction from the first air vent 12 towards the second air vent 13, so that the energy storage components 2 are arranged with an interval apart from each other in the containing space 11.


More specifically, there are plural hanging portions 15, plural energy storage components 2, plural hollow slots 141 and plural covers 16, and the hollow slots 141 are arranged with an interval apart from one another and in a direction from the first air vent 12 towards the second air vent 13, so that the energy storage components 2 are arranged with an interval apart from one another in the containing space 11.


The assembly of the energy storage component 2 of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1 includes an energy storage element 22 detachably coupled to the fixing element 20, so that the quantity of energy storage components 2 can be increased or decreased by assembling, and thus the quantity of energy storage elements can be adjusted at a time conveniently.


The assembly of the thermostat module 10 of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 includes a main body 1 having a containing space 11, and a first air vent 12 and a second air vent 13 communicated with the containing space 11, wherein the airflow device 100 is configured corresponding to the first air vent 12; the energy storage component 2 is accommodated in the containing space 11 and includes a fixing element 20 and an energy storage element 22, and the energy storage element 22 is detachably coupled to the fixing element 20, and the fixing element 20 is detachably coupled to the frame 3. Therefore, the quantity of energy storage components 2 can be increased or decreased by assembling, so that the thermostat module 10 has the effect of adjusting the quantity of energy storage elements 22 conveniently.


With reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 for the using statuses of a thermostat module 10 and an energy storage component 2 of the present invention respectively, an airflow 101 is produced when the airflow device 100 which is a fan regardless of an extraction fan or a suction fan, and the airflow 101 flows through the first air vent 12, the containing space 11 and the second air vent 13 sequentially in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Firstly, the energy storage element 22 is pre-cooled or pre-heated in an off-peak time (such as nighttime), and then the energy storage element 22 is placed in the containing space 21, so that the energy storage element 22 keeps cooling or warming the airflow 101. The energy storage element 22 pre-stores energy at the off-peak time (such as nighttime), so that the pre-stored energy can be used at peak time to reduce the power consumption at peak time and consume power at off-peak time, so as to achieve the effects of improving the power efficiency and saving on electricity bills.


In FIG. 6, there are plural hanging portions 15, plural energy storage components 2, plural hollow slots 141 and plural covers 16, wherein the hollow slots 141 are arranged with an interval apart from one another on the top 14 and in a direction from the first air vent 12 towards the second air vent 13, and each cover 16 covers each respective hollow slot 141, and each hanging portion 15 is formed at the bottom 161 of each respective cover 16, and the energy storage component 2 is accommodated in the containing space 11, and the energy storage element 22 is detachably coupled to the hanging element 21, and the hanging element 21 may be detachably hung at the hanging portion 15, and the energy storage components 2 are arranged with an interval apart from one another in the containing space 11. The energy storage component 2 are arranged side by side from the front to the rear, so that the quantity of arranged energy storage components 2 can be increased or decreased by assembling as needed, so that the thermostat capability of the thermostat module 10 includes the weak, middle and strong effects, and the temperature of the airflow 101 also includes the weak, middle and strong effects.


In addition, the energy storage component 2 is hung at the cover 16 to facilitate users to change the energy storage component 2. When the energy storage element 22 resumes the room temperature, the energy storage component 2 may be drawn out to replace the energy storage element 22, so that the thermostat module 10 quickly resumes the mechanism of continuously blowing out the cold wind or hot wind.


In addition, a hook portion 211 is disposed at an end of the hanging element 21 and the hook portion 211 can be hung at the corresponding hanging portion 15, and thus the hanging element 21 can be installed to or removed from the hanging portion 15 quickly to facilitate uses to use the energy storage component 2.


In addition, the hanging element 21 is a hanging rod 212, and the energy storage element 22 has a penetrating hole 221, and the energy storage element 22 is sheathed on and fixed to the hanging rod 212 through the penetrating hole 221, so that the energy storage element 22 can be installed to or removed from the hanging element 21 to facilitate users to change the energy storage element 22.


With reference to FIG. 7 for a thermostat module in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thermostat module 10 of this preferred embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first preferred embodiment, except that the airflow device 100 is fixed to the rear of the frame 3.


However, the airflow device 100 of the present invention may be fixed to the front or the rear of the frame 3. Meanwhile, the position of the airflow device 100 does not affect the function and effect of the thermostat module 10 and the energy storage component 2.


With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 for an energy storage component in accordance with the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage component 2 of this preferred embodiment is substantially the same as those of the first and second preferred embodiments, except that the shape of the energy storage element 22 is different.


However, the energy storage element 22 is a geometric block such as a spherical block, a circular block, a cylindrical block, a rectangular block, a triangular block, a ring block, a rectangular ring block or a triangular ring block, so that the shape of the energy storage element 22 is not limited to the aforementioned preferred embodiments.


In addition, if there are plural energy storage elements 22 of each energy storage component 2, the energy storage elements 22 are coupled in series with one another sequentially and stacked onto the hanging element 21, so that the quantity of energy storage elements 22 in a single energy storage component 2 may be adjusted as needed, and the single energy storage component 2 has the weak, middle and strong thermostat effects.


With reference to FIG. 10 for an energy storage component in accordance with the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage component 2 of this preferred embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first preferred embodiment, except that the hanging element 21 of the energy storage component 2 of this preferred embodiment is a lanyard 213.


More specifically, the energy storage element 22 has a penetrating hole 221, and the energy storage element 22 is sheathed on the lanyard 213 through the penetrating hole 221, so that the energy storage element 22 can be installed to or removed from the hanging element 21 quickly to facilitate users to change the energy storage element 22.


With reference to FIG. 11 for an energy storage component in accordance with the fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage component 2 of this preferred embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first preferred embodiment, except that the hanging element 21 of the energy storage component 2 of this preferred embodiment is a U-shaped lanyard 214.


More specifically, a circular slot 213 is formed at the external periphery of the energy storage element 22, and the U-shaped lanyard 213 is embedded into the corresponding circular slot 222 in order to fix the energy storage element 22 onto the U-shaped lanyard 214, so that the energy storage element 22 can be installed to or removed from the hanging element 21 to facilitate users to change the energy storage element 22.


With reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 for an energy storage component in accordance with the sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage component 2 of this preferred embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first preferred embodiment, except that the hanging element 21 of the energy storage component 2 of this preferred embodiment is a mesh bag 215.


More specifically, one or more energy storage elements 22 can be accommodated in the mesh bag 215, so that the energy storage element 22 can be installed to or removed from the hanging element 21 quickly to facilitate users to change the energy storage element 22.


In FIG. 6, the frame 3 of the sixth preferred embodiment does not have the hollow slot 141 or the cover 16, so that the frame 3 of the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned preferred embodiments only, but it can be changed as needed. Any arrangement is acceptable as long as the frame 3 has the hanging portion 15 for hanging the hanging element 21.


In summation of the description above, the present invention achieves the expected objectives and overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art, and the invention complies with patent application requirements, and is thus duly filed for patent application.


While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims
  • 1. A thermostat module, applied in an airflow device, comprising: a main body, having a containing space, a first air vent and a second air vent, both of the first air vent and the second air vent being communicated with the containing space, and the airflow device being configured corresponding to the first air vent; andat least one energy storage component, accommodated in the containing space, and the energy storage component comprising: a fixing element; andat least one energy storage element, detachably coupled to the fixing element, and the fixing element being detachably coupled to the frame.
  • 2. The thermostat module of claim 1, wherein the fixing element is a hanging element, and an end of the hanging element has a hook portion, and the hanging element is hung onto the main body through the hook portion.
  • 3. The thermostat module of claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of energy storage elements, and the energy storage elements are coupled sequentially in series with one another and stacked onto the hanging element.
  • 4. The thermostat module of claim 2, wherein the hanging element is a hanging rod, and the energy storage element has a penetrating hole, and the energy storage element is sheathed on the hanging rod through the penetrating hole.
  • 5. The thermostat module of claim 2, wherein the hanging element is a lanyard, and the energy storage element has a penetrating hole, and the energy storage element is sheathed on the lanyard through the penetrating hole.
  • 6. The thermostat module of claim 2, wherein the hanging element is a U-shaped lanyard, and a circular slot is formed at the external periphery of the energy storage element, and the U-shaped lanyard is embedded into the circular slot, so that the energy storage element is positioned onto the U-shaped lanyard.
  • 7. The thermostat module of claim 2, wherein the hanging element is a mesh bag, and the energy storage element is accommodated in the mesh bag.
  • 8. The thermostat module of claim 1, wherein the energy storage element is a spherical block, a circular block, a cylindrical block, a rectangular block, a triangular block, a ring block, a rectangular ring block or a triangular ring block.
  • 9. The thermostat module of claim 2, wherein the main body is a frame, and the frame has at least one hanging portion, and the hanging element is detachably hung onto the hanging portion through the hook portion.
  • 10. The thermostat module of claim 9, wherein the frame has a top disposed at the top of the containing space, and the hanging portion is configured corresponding to the top.
  • 11. The thermostat module of claim 10, wherein there are a plurality of hanging portions and a plurality of energy storage components, and the hanging portions are arranged with an interval apart from one another on the top and in a direction from the first air vent towards the second air vent, so that the energy storage components are arranged with an interval apart form one another in the containing space.
  • 12. The thermostat module of claim 10, wherein the frame further includes at least one cover, and the top has at least one hollow slot communicated with the containing space, and the cover covers the hollow slot, and the hanging portion is formed at the bottom of the cover.
  • 13. The thermostat module of claim 12, wherein there are a plurality of hanging portions, a plurality of energy storage components, a plurality of hollow slots and a plurality of covers, and the hollow slots are arranged with an interval apart from each other on the top and in a direction from the first air vent towards the second air vent, so that the energy storage components are arranged with an interval apart from each other in the containing space.
  • 14. The thermostat module of claim 9, wherein the airflow device is fixed into the frame, and the frame has a third air vent configured corresponding to the airflow device.
  • 15. The thermostat module of claim 1, wherein the first air vent and the second air vent are formed at opposite ends of the main body respectively.