Thermo-voltaic personal cooling/heating device
US6125636A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 14, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 3, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 14, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61F2007/0075
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A self-contained personal cooling and/or heating device includes a heat dissipating member that fits around a portion of the user's body to be thermally regulated. A Peltier thermo-voltaic module operated with low voltage at relatively low current is thermally coupled to the rear surface of the member, and the rear surface of the module is provided with a large surface area, preferably augmented by a heat sink. A fan directs ambient air onto this rear module surface or heat sink. The device preferably is controlled by a microprocessor that biases the module with a pulse train, samples temperature across the module during an off-portion of the pulse train, and used sampled signals to vary duty cycle and/or amplitude of the voltage across the module to finely control temperature. The device preferably is controlled by a self-contained battery source whose polarity across the module is user-changeable, causing the device to heat or cool the user as desired.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.