HEAT EXCHANGER AND TEMPERING CONTAINER COMPRISING A HEAT EXCHANGER

• US 20090114378A1
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gerd Sumah, Peter Lang
• Original Assignee: Gerd Sumah, Peter Lang
• Inventors: Lang, Peter, Sumah, Gerd
• Application Number:
  US11/994,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20090114378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/132
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/803 Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/805 Cans
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/107 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 5/02 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally

Abstract

A heat exchanger comprises an evacuated reaction chamber (2, 2′, 23, 33) containing at least one reaction medium and a storage chamber (25, 35) containing an activation medium which reacts with the reaction medium in such a way as to modify the temperature. The reaction chamber and the storage chamber can be brought into a communicating relationship, whereby the reaction medium and the activation medium are contacted with each other and the temperature-modifying reaction is triggered. The reaction chamber (2, 2′, 23, 33) is defined by walls made of a vacuum-tight material (3), which walls are kept at a distance from each other, at least in sections, by supporting bodies (4, 7, 10), with the supporting bodies (4, 7, 9, 10) keeping free transport paths (5, 8) for the reaction medium (11) inside the reaction chamber. The vacuum-tight material (3) forming the walls of the reaction chamber is designed as a flexible film, preferably a composite film.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger, comprising

an evacuated reaction chamber containing at least one reaction medium and a storage chamber containing an activation medium which reacts with the reaction medium in such a way as to modify the temperature, wherein the reaction chamber and the storage chamber can be brought into a communicating relationship, whereby the reaction medium and the activation medium are contacted with each other and the temperature-modifying reaction is triggered, the reaction chamber being defined by walls made of a vacuum-tight material, which walls are kept at a distance from each other, at least in sections, by supporting bodies, with the supporting bodies keeping free transport paths for the reaction medium inside the reaction chamber, wherein the vacuum-tight material forming the walls of the reaction chamber is a flexible film, preferably a composite film.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the film is sealable and/or gluable.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the reaction medium comprises evaporation media, endothermic reactants or exothermic reactants.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the storage chamber contains an adsorbing medium as the activation medium and optionally a heat sink.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the storage chamber contains an activation agent as the activation medium, which, upon contact with the reactant, triggers an exothermic reaction, optionally with a PCM device.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein supporting bodies are formed from granules which are pressed against each other due to the vacuum in the reaction chamber, the granules preferably being porous.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein supporting bodies are formed from moulded articles, which preferably are open-pored.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein supporting bodies are constructed as a framework against which the film is pressed due to the vacuum in the reaction chamber.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein supporting bodies are formed from a material with good heat conduction.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein supporting bodies are constructed as storage elements for the reaction medium or that supporting bodies are composed of the reaction medium provided as a solid body.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the storage chamber is integrated in the heat exchanger, the storage chamber being kept on the heat exchanger preferably via a connection with the flexible vacuum-tight material.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the storage chamber is constructed in a separate unit.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is separated from the storage chamber by a membrane and an optional partition wall or a valve.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 13, further comprising at least one actuator for cutting through the membrane and the optional partition wall or for opening the valve.

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the storage chamber is evacuated.

16. A tempering container comprising an intake space for receiving a product to be tempered, wherein a heat exchanger according to claim 1 is connected to the intake space in a heat conducting manner.

17. The tempering container according to claim 16, wherein it is designed as a beverage can or a PET plastic bottle or a cardboard composite packing or a party barrel.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the heat sink is a phase-changing agent.

19. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the PCM device is a phase-changing agent being arranged in the reaction chamber.