Thermoelectric generator battery charger and power supply

• US 8,779,275 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Therm-Tech As
• Original Assignee: The Therm-Tech As
• Inventors: Saghus, Finn Erik, Rosness, Erik, Birkeland, Bjrn Eirik
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US13/776,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/DIG.19, 320/DIG.21, 136/205, 136/206, 136/207, 136/217, 136/218, 136230-232, 136/200, 136/211, 136/212, 136/242
• US Class Current: 136/207
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction

Abstract

A portable device for supplying with power of at least one portable electrical load or gadget (70), wherein the device (10) is adapted to be manually heated and comprises at least one thermoelectric element (20) having one hot or warm side (21) and one cold side (22), a container (30) attached to the cold side (22) and adapted for holding or keeping a cooling medium or fluid (90) therein, a power converter (60) and a set of cables (65) coming out of the thermoelectric element (20) and connected to the electrical load (70) via the power converter (60).

Claims

1. A portable device for supplying power to at least one electrical load, the device comprising:

at least one thermoelectric element having a cold side and a hot side;

an electronic power converter operably coupled to the cold side; and

a container coupled to the cold side and configured to accommodate a cooling medium;

wherein the device is configured to be manually heated and wherein the device comprises an audible or visible indicator showing the user that the heat should be regulated, wherein the audible or visible indicator is configured to indicate a charge rate of the device.

2. The portable device of claim 1, the device further comprising at least one cable electrically coupling the thermoelectric element to the electronic power converter.

3. The portable device of claim 1, the device further comprising at least one cable electrically coupling the electronic power converter to the at least one electrical load.

4. The portable device of claim 3, wherein the at least one cable includes a female plug.

5. The portable device of claim 3, wherein the at least one cable includes a male plug.

6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the container is configured to hold liquid.

7. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the container is watertight.

8. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the device can include a cover for the container.

9. The portable device of claim 8, wherein the cover engages with the container in a watertight manner.

10. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to accommodate one or more batteries.

11. A method of using the portable device of claim 10 to supply power to at least one electrical load, the method comprising:

electrically coupling the electronic power converter to the at least one electrical load;

manually heating the hot side of the at least one thermoelectric element; and

introducing the cooling medium to the container.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising regulating the heat on the hot side of the at least one thermoelectric element in response to an audible or visual signal from the audible or visible indicator.

13. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical load comprises one or more batteries.

14. A method of using the portable device of claim 1 to supply power to at least one electrical load, the method comprising:

electrically coupling the electronic power converter to the at least one electrical load;

manually heating the hot side of the at least one thermoelectric element; and

introducing the cooling medium to the container.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising regulating the heat on the hot side of the at least one thermoelectric element in response to an audible or visual signal from the audible or visible indicator.