Portable active temperature control device

Abstract

A portable active temperature control device includes an insulating shell, a vacuum insulation layer, a container, a top cover and a heating module. The insulating shell is provided with a main control unit. The main control unit provides a high-frequency alternating current. The vacuum insulation layer is made of metal. The container is arranged in the insulating shell. The heating module includes a conductive coil and a thermocouple. The conductive coil receives the high-frequency alternating current from the main control unit to continuously generate an alternating magnetic field. The thermocouple and the conductive coil are connected to the main control unit to feedback the temperature to the main control unit. The main control unit adjusts the operating voltage based on the temperature and the diameter of the wire constituting the conductive coil to change the high-frequency alternating current. The alternating magnetic field generated by the conductive coil causes the metal of the vacuum insulation layer to heat up and exchange heat with the container. The portable active temperature control device of the present invention can provide an active temperature control device that is not driven by alternating current, achieving the effects of low power consumption, environmental protection, high safety and long-term heat preservation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a temperature control device, in particular to a device which is convenient to carry and can actively heat or keep warm. Background Art

[0002] There are many different types of portable thermal containers on the market, but the efficiency of these thermal containers is not high. According to Choice Magazine (https: / / echoice.consumer.org.hk / article / 531-thermal-food-flasks) published by the Hong Kong Consumer Council on January 14, 2021, the safe storage temperature of hot food needs to be greater than 60 degrees Celsius. If the thermal container needs to maintain a safe storage temperature of 60 degrees Celsius or above for a long time, it usually needs to rely on an external AC power supply to keep it warm. In addition to consuming energy, this type of portable thermal container is also restricted to being used in places where AC power is available. Therefore, the thermal containers on the market cannot achieve the effect of being truly convenient and portable. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies, one of the purposes of the present invention is to provide an active temperature control device that is not driven by AC power, so as to achieve the effects of low power consumption, environmental protection, high safety and long-term heat preservation.

[0004] A portable active temperature control device in one embodiment of the present invention includes an insulating shell, a vacuum insulation layer, a container, a top cover and a heating module. The insulating shell is provided with a main control unit. The main control unit provides a high-frequency alternating current. The vacuum insulation layer is made of metal and is disposed in the insulating shell. The container is disposed in the insulating shell. The top cover is disposed on the insulating shell. The heating module is electrically connected to the main control unit. The heating module includes a conductive coil and a thermocouple. The conductive coil receives the high-frequency alternating current from the main control unit to continuously generate an alternating magnetic field. The thermocouple and the conductive coil are connected to the main control unit to feedback the temperature for the main control unit to adjust the operating voltage to change the high-frequency alternating current. The alternating magnetic field generated by the conductive coil causes the metal of the vacuum insulation layer to heat up and exchange heat with the container.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present invention, the portable active temperature control device further comprises an insulating inner shell, and the heating module is located between the insulating inner shell and the vacuum insulation layer.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the insulating outer shell, the main control unit, the vacuum insulation layer, the insulating inner shell and the heating module are arranged in a closed system space.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the shape design of the conductive coil includes a circular shape design in a two-dimensional plane.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the shape design of the conductive coil includes a three-dimensionally symmetrical shape design.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive coil further includes a main body and a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are connected to the main body and stand on the main body, and the protrusions are symmetrically arranged according to the central axis of the portable active temperature control device.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the main body portion includes a circle.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the protrusion includes a rhombus, a circle, an hourglass or a quadrilateral.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the main control unit is connected to a power source, and includes an AC / DC high-frequency conversion circuit, and the AC / DC high-frequency conversion circuit is used to convert a DC current from the power source into a high-frequency AC current.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the power source includes a mobile power supply, a USB power supply, or a battery built into the portable active temperature control device.

[0014] Based on the above, in the portable active temperature control device of the embodiment of the present invention, the metal in the vacuum insulation layer generates heat through electromagnetic induction with the conductive coil to generate an alternating magnetic field, and further generates heat exchange with the container to achieve the effect of heating or keeping the contents of the container warm. The thermocouple feeds back the temperature to adjust the heating power, which improves the safety of use. Moreover, by designing the shape of the conductive coil into a three-dimensional symmetrical shape, the heating uniformity of the heating area can be effectively improved. In addition, an AC-DC high-frequency conversion circuit is provided in the main control unit, which can convert the DC current into the high-frequency alternating current. Therefore, the portable active temperature control device of the embodiment of the present invention does not need to be restricted to occasions where AC power is available, so that the user can conveniently carry it to various occasions for heating or to meet the needs of long-term heat preservation, thereby realizing a portable active temperature control device with low power consumption and high safety.

[0015] Regarding the creative contribution of the present invention application, although the technical means of the prior art have proposed a portable thermal insulation container, its cooling / heating component / system does not have the specific use and configuration of the induction heating of the present invention. For example, regarding at least some of the technical features of the present patent application: "a heating module is electrically connected to the main control unit, and the heating module includes: a conductive coil, which receives the high-frequency alternating current from the main control unit to continuously generate an alternating magnetic field; and a thermocouple, which is connected to the conductive coil and the main control unit, and is used to feedback the temperature for the main control unit to adjust the operating voltage to change the high-frequency alternating current; wherein the alternating magnetic field generated by the conductive coil causes the metal of the vacuum insulation layer to heat up and exchange heat with the container", the technical effect achieved is "the alternating magnetic field generated by the conductive coil causes the metal of the vacuum insulation layer to heat up and exchange heat with the container". However, the technical means of the prior art often use heating wires, resistive heaters, or thermoelectric systems including one or more Peltier components, rather than the induction heating described in the present invention. In terms of structure, the present patent application is to induction heat the entire insulating inner shell or vacuum insulation layer, while the cooling / heating components / systems of the prior art are self-heating / cooling and radiate or absorb heat energy from the part. Therefore, compared with the prior art, the present patent application can provide a portable active temperature control device with lower power consumption and higher safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, various aspects of the present invention can be easily understood from the following detailed description. It should be noted that the various features may not be drawn to scale. In fact, the size of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for ease of discussion.

[0017] The following drawings are used to describe the embodiments of the present invention in more detail, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the portable active temperature control device of Example 1 of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a portable active temperature control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 A two-dimensional conductive coil diagram made in a wraparound manner according to Example 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 is a temperature variation diagram of a portable active temperature control device of a comparative embodiment under a heating condition;

[0022] Figure 5 Embodiment 1 of the present invention is in Figure 4 Temperature variation diagram of the comparative example under the same heating conditions;

[0023] Figure 6 A temperature distribution diagram of a vacuum insulation layer measured by an infrared thermometer in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 An exploded view of a portable active temperature control device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 Schematic diagrams of different implementations of the three-dimensional conductive coil in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0026] Fig. 9 This is a temperature distribution diagram of the vacuum insulation layer measured by an infrared thermometer in Example 2 of the present invention; and

[0027] Fig.10 It shows the temperature distribution of the vacuum insulation layer measured by an infrared thermometer after heating using a general resistance heating method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following is a detailed discussion of embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be understood that many applicable concepts provided by the present invention can be implemented in a variety of specific environments. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0029] In the spatial description, terms such as "upper", "lower", "above", "left", "right", "below", "top", "bottom", "longitudinal", "lateral", "side", "higher", "lower", "upper", "above", "below", etc. are defined for a certain component or a certain plane of a group composed of components, and the orientation of the component can be shown in its corresponding figure. It should be understood that the spatial description used here is only for illustrative purposes, and the structure described herein can be practically embodied in any direction or manner arranged in space, provided that the advantages of the embodiments of the content of the present invention are not deviated by such arrangement.

[0030] In the following description, several examples will be preferred to illustrate the portable active temperature control device. Those skilled in the art will understand that modifications, including additions and / or substitutions, can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Certain details may be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the present invention; however, the present invention is intended to enable those skilled in the art to implement the teachings of the present invention without undue experimentation.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2In Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the portable active temperature control device 100 includes an insulating outer shell 10, a vacuum insulation layer 20, an insulating inner shell 30, a container 40, a top cover 50 and a heating module 60.

[0032] The insulating housing 10 is provided with a main control unit 12. The main control unit 12 is connected to a power source (not shown). The power source is used to provide a direct current, for example. The main control unit 12 is provided with an AC / DC high-frequency conversion circuit, and is suitable for receiving a direct current from the power source, and converting the direct current into a high-frequency alternating current by the AC / DC high-frequency conversion circuit. In some embodiments, the power source may be, for example, an external power source or an internal power source, wherein the external power source is, for example, an external mobile power source or a USB power source, and the internal power source is, for example, a battery built into the portable active temperature control device 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The material of the insulating housing 10 is, for example, an insulating material.

[0033] The vacuum insulation layer 20 is made of metal and is disposed in the insulating housing 10 .

[0034] The insulating inner shell 30 is disposed in the vacuum insulation layer 20, wherein the material of the insulating inner shell 30 is, for example, an insulating material. The insulating inner shell 30 mainly covers the conductive coil of the heating module 60, and is not one of the main heating or heat preservation structures.

[0035] The container 40 is disposed in the insulating inner shell 30 , and is used to contain contents (not shown). The contents may be water, food or other different substances to be contained, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0036] The top cover 50 is disposed on the insulating housing 10 to prevent the contents in the container 40 from contacting the outside.

[0037] The heating module 60 is disposed between the insulating inner shell 30 and the vacuum insulation layer 20 (eg Figure 1 ) and is electrically connected to the main control unit 12 (as shown Figure 2 The heating module 60 includes a conductive coil 62 and a thermocouple 64. Figure 1 and Figure 3 In the first embodiment of the present invention, the shape design of the conductive coil 62 includes a two-dimensional circular shape design. Specifically, the conductive coil 62 is composed of conductive wires in a concentric circle. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, after the diameter of the conductive coil 62, the wire diameter and the number of turns are calculated (set in the main control unit 12), the conductive coil 62 receives a high-frequency alternating current from the main control unit 12 to continuously generate a constantly changing alternating magnetic field. The alternating magnetic field will cause the metal of the vacuum insulation layer 20 to generate heat.

[0038] On the other hand, the thermocouple 64 is connected to the conductive coil 62 and the main control unit 12 to provide feedback temperature for the main control unit 12 to adjust an operating voltage to change the high-frequency alternating current to achieve a temperature control effect. In some embodiments, the operating voltage of the main control unit 12 falls within the range of 3 to 12 volts, the high-frequency alternating current falls within the range of 1 to 3.5 amperes, and the power consumption of the overall output of the main control unit 12 can be controlled within the range of less than 30 watts.

[0039] Since the conductive coil 62 is disposed between the vacuum insulation layer 20, the thermocouple 64, and the insulating inner shell 30, the metal of the vacuum insulation layer 20 can generate heat energy by reacting with the alternating magnetic field generated by the conductive coil 62 through the principle of electromagnetic induction heating. The heat energy can effectively generate heat exchange with the container 40, which is beneficial to increase the effect of heating or keeping the contents in the container 40, and achieves low energy consumption, low voltage, low current, and high safety temperature control effect without using active heat dissipation.

[0040] In addition, the insulating outer shell 10, the main control unit 12, the vacuum insulation layer 20, the insulating inner shell 30 and the heating module 60 can be arranged in a closed system space to achieve a waterproof function.

[0041] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical effect of the first embodiment of the present invention, a comparative embodiment is given here. The portable active temperature control device of the comparative embodiment is substantially similar to Figure 1 The portable active temperature control device 100 has the following main differences: the portable active temperature control device of the comparative embodiment does not have the following Figure 1 The vacuum insulation layer 20.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, when the comparative embodiment is in an environment with a power supply of 8 watts, it takes about 3 hours to reach the thermal equilibrium temperature (for example, about 50 degrees). Figure 5 , under the same 8W power supply environment, Figure 1 It takes about 1 to 2 hours for the embodiment to reach the thermal equilibrium temperature (e.g., about 90 degrees). It can be seen that under the same heating conditions, the heating speed of the comparative embodiment is not fast and cannot reach a high temperature. Figure 1 The embodiment has a smaller heat loss, and the heating speed is fast and a higher temperature environment can be maintained.

[0043] Figure 6 The temperature distribution diagram of the vacuum insulation layer measured by an infrared thermometer in Example 1 of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 It can be seen that the temperature difference between the bottom and upper layers of the vacuum insulation layer is relatively large, proving that the heating is not uniform.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 7and Figure 8 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanism decomposition of a portable active temperature control device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 8 Schematic diagrams of different implementations of the three-dimensional conductive coil in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0045] like Figure 7 As shown, in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, the portable active temperature control device 100' is substantially similar to Figure 1 The portable active temperature control device 100 shown in the figure mainly has the following differences: the portable active temperature control device 100' comprises an insulating shell 10, a vacuum insulation layer 20, a container 40, a top cover 50, a heating module 60' and a Figure 8 The conductive coil 62' of the design in (a) is replaced by the conductive coil 62' Figure 1 The insulating inner shell 30 and the conductive coil 62 (60). In addition, the conductive coil 62' has a design similar to Figure 1 , Figure 3 The appearance design of the conductive coil 62 is different.

[0046] Specifically, the shape design of the conductive coil 62' includes a three-dimensional symmetrical shape design. Figure 7 As shown, the conductive coil 62' includes a main body 62a' and a plurality of protrusions 62b'. These protrusions 62b' are connected to and stand on the main body 62a' (such as Figure 7 As shown). These protrusions 62b' are symmetrically arranged according to the central axis I of the portable active temperature control device 100'. The main body 62a' is arranged at the bottom of the vacuum insulation layer 20 and is designed in a two-dimensional circular shape. These protrusions 62b' are arranged along the inner surface of the vacuum insulation layer 20. With this configuration, the electromagnetic induction heating area on the vacuum insulation layer 20 can be distributed more widely.

[0047] Further, in Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the embodiment (a), the protrusion 62b' is in the shape of a rhombus. In another embodiment, Figure 7 The shape of the protrusion 62b' of the conductive coil 62' may also be the same as Figure 8 (b) is a circle. In one embodiment, Figure 7 The shape of the protrusion 62b' of the conductive coil 62' may also be the same as Figure 8 (c) is an hourglass shape. In another embodiment, Figure 7 The shape of the protrusion 62b' of the conductive coil 62' may also be the same as Figure 8(d) is a quadrilateral, and is, for example, a trapezoid, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments not shown, the protrusion 62b' may also be designed in different shapes, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The conductive coil 62' with a three-dimensional symmetrical shape design is not limited by the shape of the vacuum insulation layer 20, and the protrusion 62b' of different shapes is used to control the range of heat generation around the protrusion 62b', so that the conductive coil 62' can further achieve temperature distribution in different areas of the vacuum insulation layer 20 to further optimize the heating effect, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0048] Fig. 9 The temperature distribution diagram of the vacuum insulation layer of Example 2 of the present invention is shown. In an environment with a power supply of 8 watts, an infrared thermometer is used to detect the temperature of the vacuum insulation layer. Figure 7 Different positions of the vacuum insulation layer 20 metal, such as Fig. 9 The temperature difference between the bottom, middle and upper layers is within 12 degrees Celsius. Figure 6 The temperature difference between the bottom, middle and top layers of the vacuum insulation layer 20 in the first embodiment of the present invention is about 20 degrees Celsius. Since the conductive coil 62' of the portable active temperature control device 100' adopts a three-dimensional symmetrical shape design, it effectively improves the thermal balance generated by the conductive coil 62' on the metal of the vacuum insulation layer 20, so that the bottom, middle and top layers achieve a temperature almost consistent.

[0049] Furthermore, the conductive coil 62' is formed by Figure 3 A two-dimensional circular design shown in FIG. Figure 7 The three-dimensional symmetrical design shown in FIG. 1 is a design that has never been reported. It should be noted that if the conductive coil 62 is changed from a two-dimensional circular design to a three-dimensional circular design, the power consumption required is very high, exceeding the range of 12 watts. On the other hand, if Figure 3 The design was changed to a three-dimensional circular design and then Figure 8 Compared with the conventional method, the required conductive wire material can be more than 30%. Figure 8 (a) with Figure 7 The design of the vacuum insulation layer 20 can be used to walk out of the same plane position after going around the bottom and surrounding of the metal from the entrance (such as Figure 7 The dotted line shows the space for hiding the wires and facilitates the connection with the main control unit 12.

[0050] In order to prove the advantages of electromagnetic induction heating used in the present invention over existing resistance heating, Fig.10 This is a temperature distribution diagram of the vacuum insulation layer measured by infrared temperature measurement after heating using a general resistance heating method. Fig.10It indicates that the heat generated by the metal of the vacuum insulation layer 20 is not uniform. It is found that the temperature difference of the metal of the vacuum insulation layer 20 is more than 30 degrees Celsius. In other words, the temperature of the vacuum insulation layer at different positions is very uneven, and the power consumption required is also higher. Fig. 9 ,represent Figure 2 Compared with the embodiment Fig.10 The resistive heating method uses a vacuum insulation layer that is heated evenly and has low power consumption.

[0051] In summary, in an embodiment of the present invention, a portable active temperature control device generates an alternating magnetic field by providing a high-frequency alternating current to a conductive coil, and the alternating magnetic field further reacts with the metal of the vacuum insulation layer to generate heat energy, and the heat energy can effectively generate heat exchange with the container, so that it can heat or keep the contents in the container warm. In addition, the thermocouple feeds back the temperature so that the main control unit can adjust the current to further adjust the heating power. An embodiment of the present invention further proposes a three-dimensionally symmetrical conductive coil design to further optimize the uniformity of heating. In addition, an AC / DC high-frequency conversion circuit is provided in the main control unit, which can convert the DC current into the high-frequency alternating current. Therefore, the present invention does not need to be restricted to occasions where AC power is available, so that users can conveniently carry it to various occasions for heating or to meet the needs of long-term heat preservation, thereby achieving a portable active temperature control device with low power consumption and high safety.

[0052] The above contents of the present invention are provided for illustration, and the purpose is not to exhaust or limit the present invention to these detailed descriptions. Those skilled in the art may make various obvious modifications and improvements thereto.

[0053] The embodiments selected and described above are intended to most clearly illustrate the principles and practical applications of the present invention, so that other technical personnel in the field can understand various implementation methods of the present invention and various modifications suitable for specific purposes.

[0054] Although the content of the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to the specific embodiments of the content of the present invention, these descriptions and illustrations are not limited. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and replacements with equivalents can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the content of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Due to factors of manufacturing processes and tolerances, there may be differences between the processes presented in the content of the present invention and the actual device. Other embodiments of the content of the present invention may not be specifically described. The specification and the drawings should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Modifications may be made to adapt specific situations, materials, material compositions, methods or processes to the purpose, spirit and scope of the content of the present invention. All these modifications will fall within the scope of the claims attached hereto. Although the method disclosed herein is described by performing specific operations with reference to a specific order, it should be understood that these operations can be combined, subdivided or reordered to form equivalent methods, and this does not depart from the teachings of the present invention. Therefore, unless otherwise specifically noted herein, the order and grouping of these operations are not limited.

Claims

1. A portable active temperature control device, characterized in that: include: The insulating housing is provided with a main control unit, and the main control unit provides high-frequency alternating current; The vacuum insulation layer is made of metal and is arranged in the insulating shell; A container for holding objects, arranged in the insulating shell; A top cover, which is arranged on the insulating shell; and A heating module is electrically connected to the main control unit, and the heating module includes: A conductive coil receives the high-frequency alternating current from the main control unit to continuously generate an alternating magnetic field, wherein the conductive coil includes a main body and a plurality of protrusions, wherein the plurality of protrusions are connected to the main body and stand on the main body, and are symmetrically arranged according to the central axis of the portable active temperature control device; and A thermocouple connected to the conductive coil and the main control unit to provide feedback of temperature for the main control unit to adjust the operating voltage to change the high-frequency alternating current; The alternating magnetic field generated by the conductive coil causes the metal of the vacuum insulation layer to heat up and perform heat exchange with the container.

2. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an insulating inner shell, wherein the The heating module is located between the insulating inner shell and the vacuum insulation layer.

3. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: wherein the insulating housing, The main control unit, the vacuum insulation layer, the insulating inner shell and the heating module are arranged in a closed system space.

4. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The conductive coil has a shape Shape design includes circular shape design in two-dimensional plane.

5. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The conductive coil has a shape Shape design includes three-dimensional symmetrical shape design.

6. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The shape of the body portion includes a circle.

7. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The shape of the protrusion includes a rhombus, a circle, an hourglass or a quadrilateral.

8. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The main control unit is connected to a power source and includes an AC / DC high-frequency conversion circuit, and the AC / DC high-frequency conversion circuit is used to convert a direct current from the power source into the high-frequency alternating current.

9. The portable active temperature control device according to claim 8, characterized in that: in, The power source includes a mobile power supply, a USB power supply or a battery built into the portable active temperature control device.

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