Temperature control unit

Abstract

The temperature control unit is designed to suppress corrosion and malfunctions caused by moisture entering the interior. [Solution] A temperature control unit comprising a pair of plates arranged with a gap between them vertically, a Peltier module sandwiched between the plates, a sealing frame that surrounds and seals the Peltier module between the plates, and a surrounding body that extends inside the sealing frame to surround the Peltier module, wherein the surrounding body has a recess formed along its extending direction, and a moisture-absorbing member is filled into the recess.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature control unit equipped with a Peltier module.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a temperature control unit in which a Peltier module is sandwiched between a pair of plates has been known. In this type of temperature control unit, in order to prevent the Peltier module from being corroded or malfunctioning due to the influence of moisture that has penetrated into its interior (specifically, around the Peltier element), the Peltier module is also sealed with a frame between the plates (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above-described configuration, due to the structure of sandwiching and fixing a frame to each plate, it is difficult to completely prevent moisture from the fixing portion. Therefore, in the long term, moisture that has penetrated from the fixing portion may cause corrosion or malfunction of the Peltier module, and it is required to suppress the influence of such penetrated moisture.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to enable suppression of corrosion and malfunction caused by moisture that has penetrated into the interior of a temperature control unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the first phase temperature control unit comprises a pair of plates arranged with a gap between them vertically, a Peltier module sandwiched between the plates, a sealing frame that surrounds and seals the Peltier module between the plates, and a surrounding body that extends inside the sealing frame to surround the Peltier module, wherein the surrounding body has a recess formed along its extending direction, and a moisture-absorbing member is filled into the recess.

[0007] In this type of temperature control unit, a moisture-absorbing material is filled into a recess in the surrounding body located between the Peltier module and the sealing frame. As a result, even if moisture enters the temperature control unit through the fixing point between the plate and the sealing frame, this moisture is absorbed by the moisture-absorbing material, thereby suppressing corrosion and failure of the Peltier module caused by the effects of this moisture.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned temperature control unit, a pre-filled enclosure containing a moisture-absorbing material is prepared during manufacturing, and this can be placed between the Peltier module and the sealing frame, eliminating the need to directly fill the area between them with the moisture-absorbing material.

[0009] This eliminates problems during the manufacturing process of the temperature control unit, such as moisture-absorbing material getting stuck or pinched in the fixing points between the plate and the sealing frame. As a result, it prevents such problems from hindering manufacturing or reducing moisture resistance.

[0010] Furthermore, this phase may be as shown in the second phase below. In the temperature control unit of the second phase, the surrounding body is provided as a member that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the sealing frame toward the Peltier module.

[0011] In this type of temperature control unit, a casing filled with a moisture-absorbing material and an integrated sealing frame can be prepared during manufacturing.

[0012] Furthermore, this phase may be as shown in the third phase below. In the temperature control unit of the third phase, the enclosing body is provided with a closing portion made of a moisture-permeable material, which is a member that closes the opening of the recess.

[0013] In this type of temperature control unit, the opening of the recess is sealed by the closing section, which prevents the moisture-absorbing member from falling out of the recess while still allowing the moisture-absorbing member to adsorb moisture.

[0014] Furthermore, this phase may be as shown in the fourth phase below. In the temperature control unit of the fourth phase, the recess is formed to open upward. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing a temperature control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Front cross-sectional view showing a temperature control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing a sealing frame and enclosure body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Front cross-sectional view of a main part showing a temperature control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Front cross-sectional view of a main part showing a temperature control unit, which is another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (1) Overall structure

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the temperature control unit 1 comprises a pair of plates 10 and 20 arranged with a gap between them vertically, a Peltier module 30 sandwiched between these plates 10 and 20, a sealing frame 40 that surrounds and seals the Peltier module 30 between the plates 10 and 20, and a surrounding body 50 that extends inside the sealing frame 40 to surround the Peltier module 30.

[0018] Of the pair of plates 10 and 20, the lower plate 10 disposed on the lower surface side of the Peltier module 30 is a rectangular metal plate formed with an area wider than the Peltier module 30 in a plan view intersecting the vertical direction. It is a so-called heat sink mainly for heat dissipation between the lower surface of the Peltier module 30 in a state where the Peltier module 30 is placed on its upper surface.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the lower plate 10 is formed by shaping a metal material (specifically, aluminum) having a thermal conductivity of a certain level or more into a quadrangle, and a plurality of fins 11 extend downward from the lower surface. Note that a conductive grease or a heat conduction sheet is interposed between the upper surface of the lower plate 10 and the lower surface of the Peltier module 30.

[0020] Also, of the pair of plates 10 and 20, the upper plate 20 disposed on the upper surface side of the Peltier module 30 is composed of a first upper plate 21 and a second upper plate 23, and is a member mainly for heat absorption between the upper surface of the Peltier module 30.

[0021] Among these, the first upper plate 21 is a rectangular metal plate formed with an area approximately the same as that of the Peltier module 30 in a plan view, and is overlapped on the Peltier module 30. Also, the second upper plate 23 is a rectangular metal plate formed with an area approximately the same as that of the lower plate 10, and is overlapped on the first upper plate 21.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the first upper plate 21 and the second upper plate 23 are each formed by shaping a metal material (specifically, aluminum) having a thermal conductivity of a certain level or more into a quadrangle. The first upper plate 21 is housed inside the sealing frame 40, and the second upper plate 23 is disposed so as to sandwich the sealing frame 40 between it and the lower plate 10.

[0023] Furthermore, conductive grease or a thermal conductive sheet is interposed between the lower surface of the first upper plate 21 and the upper surface of the Peltier module 30, and between the upper surface of the first upper plate 21 and the lower surface of the second upper plate 23, respectively.

[0024] The pair of plates 10 and 20 described above are fixed in place with the Peltier module 30 and sealing frame 40 sandwiched between them by screwing them together at multiple points (four points in this embodiment).

[0025] The Peltier module 30 is formed in a rectangular shape (a square in this embodiment) when viewed from above, and conductive wires 31 for power supply are connected to two spaced-apart points on either side of the rectangle. These conductive wires 31 penetrate the sealing frame 40 both internally and externally, reaching the outside.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the sealing frame 40 is a frame that surrounds the Peltier module 30 around its entire circumference in a plan view. In this embodiment, the sealing frame 40 is a non-conductive frame made of a resin material and is formed as a rectangular member capable of surrounding the Peltier module 30.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the sealing frame 40 is fitted at its lower end into a fitting groove 13 formed on the upper surface of the lower plate 10, and at its upper end into a fitting groove 25 formed on the lower surface of the second upper plate 23. The lower end of the sealing frame 40 is attached to the upper surface of the lower plate 10 by adhesive 15 filled in the fitting groove 13. The upper end of the sealing frame 40 is attached to the lower surface of the second upper plate 23 by adhesive 27 filled in the fitting groove 25.

[0028] Furthermore, the sealing frame 40 is made of a resin material that has sufficient gas barrier properties to suppress the permeation of gas into the space sandwiched between the pair of plates 10 and 20. However, this sealing frame 40 may be made of a material other than resin, as long as it has sufficient gas barrier properties.

[0029] Furthermore, the sealing frame 40 has through-holes 41 formed therein to allow the conductors 31 of the Peltier module 30 to reach the outside. These through-holes 41 are sealed so that gas does not flow between the inside and outside while the conductors 31 are passing through them.

[0030] The enclosing body 50 is a member that surrounds the Peltier module 30 all around inside the sealing frame 40, and a recess 51 is formed along its extending direction. This recess 51 is filled entirely with a moisture-absorbing member 60. In this embodiment, granular silica gel is used as the moisture-absorbing member 60, but powdered silica gel or other materials may also be used as the moisture-absorbing member 60.

[0031] This enclosing body 50 is a member that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the sealing frame 40 toward the Peltier module 30, and together with the inner circumferential surface of the sealing frame 40, it forms a recess 51 that opens upward. In this embodiment, the enclosing body 50 is a member integrally molded with the sealing frame 40 from the same material as the sealing frame 40.

[0032] Furthermore, the enclosing body 50 is provided with a closing portion 53 that closes the opening of the recess 51. This closing portion 53 is made of a moisture-permeable material. In this embodiment, the closing portion 53 is a mesh-like sheet material with gaps smaller than the particle size of the moisture-absorbing member 60.

[0033] (2) Variant Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited in any way to the above embodiments and can take various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0034] For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the recess 51 is formed to open upwards was illustrated. However, the recess 51 may also be formed to open inwards, as shown in Figure 5(a).

[0035] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration was illustrated in which the surrounding body 50 extends from the inner circumferential surface of the sealing frame 40 toward the Peltier module 30 and is integrally molded with the sealing frame 40. However, the surrounding body 50 only needs to surround the Peltier module 30 inside the sealing frame 40, and may be configured as a separate component from the sealing frame 40. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(b), it is conceivable that the surrounding body 50 is provided as a component extending upward from the upper surface of the lower plate 10.

[0036] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the occlusion portion 53 is a mesh-like sheet material was illustrated. However, the occlusion portion 53 can be any material that has moisture permeability, and for example, a sheet-like porous material may be used.

[0037] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the enclosing body 50 may be constructed with a moisture-permeable material in one or both of its lower and inner regions, similar to the closure portion 53.

[0038] (3) Action, effect In the above embodiment, the temperature control unit 1 has a moisture-absorbing member 60 filled in a recess 51 of the surrounding body 50 provided between the Peltier module 30 and the sealing frame 40.

[0039] As a result, even if moisture enters the temperature control unit 1 through the fixing point between the plate and the sealing frame 40, this moisture is adsorbed by the moisture-absorbing member 60, thereby suppressing corrosion and failure of the Peltier module 30 due to the effects of this moisture.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned temperature control unit 1, a surrounding body 50 pre-filled with the moisture-absorbing material 60 is prepared during its manufacture, and this can be placed between the Peltier module 30 and the sealing frame 40, eliminating the need to directly fill the area between them with the moisture-absorbing material 60.

[0041] As a result, during the manufacturing process of the temperature control unit 1, problems such as the moisture-absorbing member 60 getting stuck or pinched in the fixing points between the plate and the sealing frame 40 are eliminated, thus preventing such problems from hindering manufacturing or reducing moisture resistance.

[0042] Furthermore, in the temperature control unit 1 described above, a surrounding body 50 pre-filled with a moisture-absorbing member 60 and a sealing frame 40 integrated therewith can be prepared during its manufacture.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the temperature control unit 1, since the opening of the recess 51 is closed by a moisture-permeable closing portion 53, it is possible to prevent the moisture-absorbing member 60 from falling out of the recess 51 while still achieving moisture adsorption by the moisture-absorbing member 60. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1...Temperature control unit, 10...Lower plate, 10, 20...Plate, 11...Fin, 13...Matching groove, 15...Adhesive, 20...Upper plate, 21...First upper plate, 23...Second upper plate, 25...Matching groove, 27...Adhesive, 30...Peltier module, 31...Conducting wire, 40...Sealing frame, 41...Through hole, 50...Enclosing body, 51...Recess, 53...Closing part, 60...Moisture absorbing member.

Claims

1. A pair of plates arranged with a gap between them vertically, A Peltier module sandwiched between the aforementioned plates, A sealing frame that surrounds and seals the Peltier module between the plates, The enclosure comprises an enclosure body extending inside the sealing frame to surround the Peltier module, The enclosing body has a recess formed along its extending direction, and the recess is filled with a moisture-absorbing material. Temperature control unit.

2. The surrounding body is provided as a member that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the sealing frame toward the Peltier module. The temperature control unit according to claim 1.

3. The surrounding body is provided with a closing portion, which is a member that closes the opening of the recess and is made of a moisture-permeable material. The temperature control unit according to claim 2.

4. The recess is formed in a direction that opens upward. A temperature control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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