Mobile vehicle temperature controlled compartment

• US 6,282,906 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Tellurex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tellurex Corporation
• Inventors: Cauchy, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHULMAN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US09/523,208
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 62/33, 62/36.1, 62/36, 622/44
• US Class Current: 62/3.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/793 for use as storage compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/104 with refrigerating or warming systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/107 with different elements of fixed geometry
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0251 by a gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/12 Portable refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00

Abstract

A temperature controlled mobile vehicle compartment for providing a convenient article storage having a heat exchanger thermally connected to a thermoelectric device controlling thermal energy flow to and from the compartment. An air duct assembly cooperates with the thermoelectric device to vent the heat from the device outside the compartment and segregates the inflow air from the outflow air which received the thermal energy.

Claims

1. A mobile vehicle temperature controlled compartment comprising:

a housing enclosing a compartment for storage of articles therein;

a beverage container receiving recess for receiving a base portion of a beverage container provided at an upper surface of said housing;

a heat exchanger forming at least part of a wall of said compartment and being in thermoconductive communication with said beverage container receiving recess;

a thermoelectric system comprising first and second heat sinks and a thermoelectric device mounted therebetween for moving thermal energy to and from said compartment, said first heat sink being in thermoconductive communication with said heat exchanger;

an electrical power source electrically connected to said thermoelectric system; and

an air duct assembly having an extension member in thermoconductive communication with said second heat sink for moving thermal energy from said thermoelectric device and venting same into an air flow so as to cool or heat said compartment.

3. The compartment according to claim 1, wherein said air duct assembly has an air inflow duct which receives inflow air from an air source and an air outflow duct which segregates and exhausts air separate from said inflow air.

4. The compartment according to claim 1, wherein said compartment has an open top, said housing has walls recessed therein defining said compartment and has a pivotable top wall covering said open top, one of said walls having an opening therethrough, said heat exchanger comprises at least a part of at least two walls of the compartment and has a thermally conductive extension element extending through an opening in one of the compartment walls, the extension element contacting said first heat sink.

5. The compartment according to claim 1, wherein said air duct assembly has a third heat sink thermally contacting said second heat sink, said third heat sink conducting thermal energy from said second heat sink and transferring the thermal energy to air flowing through said air duct assembly.

7. The compartment according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes a beverage container having a bottom portion adapted to be seated in said recess and a container heat exchanger, said container heat exchanger including a cylindrical base provided at the bottom portion of said container so as to improve the heat flow from the container to the heat exchanger and a spire extending from the base upwardly into the container.

8. The compartment according to claim 1, additionally comprising a fan for forcing convection air currents in the compartment.

9. The compartment according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes a beverage container having a thermoconductive bottom portion adapted to be seated in said recess.

2. A mobile vehicle temperature controlled compartment comprising:

a housing enclosing a compartment for storage of articles therein;

a heat exchanger mounted to said compartment;

a thermoelectric system having first and second heat sinks and a thermoelectric device mounted therebetween, said first heat sink being in thermoconductive contact with said heat exchanger;

an electrical power source electrically connected to said thermoelectric system;

and an air duct assembly having an extension member in thermoconductive contact with said second heat sink, an air inflow duct which receives inflow air from an air source and an air outflow duct which segregates and exhausts air separate from said inflow air.

6. The compartment according to claim 2, wherein said housing has a beverage container receiving recess therein, and said heat exchanger extends into said recess and is in thermoconductive connection to a beverage container seated in said recess.

10. The compartment according to claim 6, wherein said housing includes a beverage container having a thermoconductive bottom portion adapted to be seated in said recess.