PCM Thermal Storage Palm Contact Hot and Cold Tower

Abstract

This invention provides a PCM (Personal Control Module) thermal storage palm contact hot and cold tower that does not require a large space such as a bench, and allows users to obtain comfortable cooling or warming stimulation through their palms simply by placing their palms in contact with the tower while standing. [Solution] The PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower 1 comprises a base 2 installed on the floor or ground and an upright support 3 erected from the base 2. The outer circumferential surface of the upright support 3 is provided with a palm contact surface 4 that a user can contact with their palm while standing. The internal space of the upright support 3 comprises a heat exchange member H positioned on the back side of the palm contact surface 4 and a PCM holding part 6 that holds the PCM, and the heat exchange member H and the PCM holding part 6 are thermally coupled either directly or via a heat conductive member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a PCM cold and heat storage type palm contact thermal tower that is installed outdoors, semi-outdoors, at construction sites, in public spaces, station squares, commercial facilities, event venues, factories, logistics facilities and other locations, and allows users to obtain cooling or warming stimulation by contacting their palm or the like in a standing position.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to phenomena such as global warming, summer temperatures have risen, and the demand for outdoor cooling devices that can be used in squares where people gather, outdoor event venues and the like has increased. Conventionally, there are various outdoor cooling devices for cooling a certain outdoor space. For example, devices that eject mist from spray nozzles and mitigate the sweltering summer space by the latent heat accompanying the transpiration of the mist are widely used.

[0003] Further, in outdoor spaces and the like, for example, an outdoor cooling system is disclosed that includes an outdoor passage with an arch-shaped roof at the top, side walls on both sides and doors at the entrance, and a cooling mechanism for cooling air under the floor of the passage (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Further, a cool bench system is disclosed that includes an upright pillar having a substantially cylindrical shape with a closed upper surface, and a bench portion connected to the lower end side of the upright pillar for a user to sit on. In this cool bench system, the running cost during cooling of the outdoor space is kept low, and people can rest while obtaining an unprecedented comfortable cool feeling (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0006] As described above, misting devices, spot coolers, fans, sunshades, and bench-type cooling devices are used as countermeasures against heat in outdoor or semi-outdoor spaces. However, bench-type cooling / heating devices such as the one shown in Patent Document 2 require seating space and have the problem of not being suitable for short-term use along public routes or for installation in limited spaces.

[0007] In particular, the hairless skin of the palms and soles of the feet contains vascular structures with high blood flow, including arteriovenous anastomoses, and is known to be involved in heat exchange between the body and the external environment. Therefore, in hot environments, bringing the palms, etc., into contact with a cooling surface at an appropriate temperature that does not become excessively cold can remove heat from the blood flowing through that area, promote heat dissipation from the body, and contribute to suppressing the rise in core body temperature or reducing the thermal burden.

[0008] However, the cooling effect on the palm of the hand varies depending on the temperature of the cooling surface, the contact area, the contact time, the surrounding environment, and the user's blood flow status. Furthermore, if the cooling surface is excessively cold, blood flow may decrease due to the constriction of peripheral blood vessels, potentially reducing heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, there is a need for a device that has a structure that brings the palm of the hand into contact with a contact surface maintained at an appropriate temperature.

[0009] Furthermore, in structures where the cooling or heating surface is directly temperature-controlled by a refrigerator, heater, or chilled / hot water system, there is a problem that the contact surface temperature tends to fluctuate depending on the ambient temperature, the number of users, and the contact time.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a PCM-type palm-contact hot and cold tower that does not require a large space such as a bench, and allows users to obtain comfortable cooling or warming stimulation through their palms simply by placing their palms in contact with the tower while standing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower comprising a base installed on the floor or ground and an upright support erected from the base, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the upright support is provided with a palm contact surface that a user can contact with their palm while standing, and the internal space of the upright support comprises a heat exchange member arranged on the back side of the palm contact surface and a PCM holding part that holds the PCM, wherein the heat exchange member and the PCM holding part are thermally coupled directly or via a heat conductive member.

[0012] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower, the PCM holding section is preferably a PCM storage chamber that houses the PCM either directly or sealed in a container.

[0013] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower, it is preferable that the internal space of the upright support is further provided with a heat exchange channel through which a cooling medium flows, positioned to exchange heat with the PCM held in the PCM holding section, the inlet of the heat exchange channel is connected to a supply side connection section to which the cooling medium is supplied from a cooling medium supply device, and the outlet of the heat exchange channel is connected to a return side connection section to which the cooling medium is returned to the cooling medium supply device.

[0014] In this PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm-contact heating tower, the heat exchange channel is preferably configured as at least one of spiral, meandering, annular, or linear pipes, pipe groups, plate channels, or jacket channels.

[0015] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact heating and cooling tower, the heat exchange member preferably comprises a thermally conductive contact plate located on the back side of the palm-contact surface and in contact with the palm-contact surface, and a thermal coupling member provided inside or on the back side of the thermally conductive contact plate.

[0016] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower, the PCM holding section is preferably a PCM cartridge housing chamber for detachably housing a PCM cartridge containing a PCM.

[0017] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower, it is preferable that the PCM cartridge housing chamber is provided with a cartridge insertion port for inserting or removing the PCM cartridge, a guide portion for guiding the PCM cartridge to a predetermined position, and a holding portion for keeping the PCM cartridge in close contact with or pressing against the heat exchange member.

[0018] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower, the PCM cartridge preferably has a contact surface corresponding to the shape of the heat exchange member, and the holding part preferably includes at least one of a spring, an elastic member, a cam, a lever, a screw, a clamp, a locking claw, a magnet, and an opening / closing lid.

[0019] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower, it is preferable to further provide a water receiving section below the palm contact surface for receiving condensed water or adhering water.

[0020] In this PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower, the upright support preferably has a polygonal, circular, or substantially circular shape in its horizontal cross-section. The palm contact surfaces preferably consist of multiple surfaces arranged along at least one of the circumferential or vertical directions of the outer surface of the upright support. If the PCM holding section is a PCM housing chamber, the PCM housing chamber preferably consists of an annular, arc-shaped, or multiple divided chambers along the circumferential direction of the upright support. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The PCM cold and heat storage type palm contact thermal tower according to the present invention includes a base installed on a floor surface or the ground, and an upright support body erected from the base. The outer peripheral surface of the upright support body is provided with a palm contact surface that allows the palm part of a user to make contact while the user is standing. The internal space of the upright support body is provided with a heat exchange member arranged on the back surface side of the palm contact surface, and a PCM holding part that holds PCM. The heat exchange member and the PCM holding part are thermally coupled directly or via a heat conduction member. With this configuration, the PCM cold and heat storage type palm contact thermal tower according to the present invention does not require a large space such as a bench, and a user can obtain a comfortable cooling or warming stimulus via the palm part simply by bringing the palm part into contact with the tower while remaining standing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] [Figure 1] This is an overall perspective view of the PCM cold and heat storage type palm contact thermal tower according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the palm contact surface taken along line A-A' in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a PCM cold and heat storage type palm contact thermal tower provided with a fixed PCM housing structure. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the upright support body provided with the fixed PCM housing structure. [Figure 5] (a) is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view showing a cylindrical upright support body and an annular PCM housing chamber, and (b) is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view showing a regular hexagonal prism-shaped upright support body and a plurality of divided chamber-shaped PCM housing chambers. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the connection configuration of the cold / hot medium supply device, the feed-side connection part, the return-side connection part, and the heat exchange flow path. [Figure 7] This is an overall perspective view of the PCM cold and heat storage type palm contact thermal tower according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 8] (a) is a side view of the PCM cartridge, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the PCM cartridge is inserted into the PCM cartridge housing chamber, and (c) is a side cross-sectional view showing a state where the PCM cartridge is housed. [Figure 9](a) and (b) are enlarged cross-sectional views showing the guiding, contacting, and pressing-holding structure of the PCM cartridge. [Figure 10] This perspective view shows a modified example in which multiple palm contact surfaces and PCM holding portions are arranged in the circumferential or vertical direction of the upright support. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the user in a standing position with their palm in contact with the palm contact surface. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] (Embodiment 1) The PCM-type palm-contact hot and cold tower according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. This PCM-type palm-contact hot and cold tower provides an environment in which people can rest while experiencing a feeling of coolness / warmth, and can be installed in places where people gather, such as parks, squares, event venues, and construction sites, especially during the hot summer months or the cold winter months.

[0024] In this embodiment 1, the PCM-type palm-contact hot and cold tower is configured such that a PCM (Phase Change Material) holding space is arranged inside or on the back side of the palm contact portion provided on the upright support, and heat exchange is possible between the PCM and the palm portion (palm contact surface) via a heat exchange member.

[0025] First, the overall structure of the PCM thermal storage palm contact hot and cold tower 1 (hereinafter referred to as palm contact hot and cold tower 1) according to this embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figure 1, the palm contact hot and cold tower 1 comprises a base 2, an upright support 3, a palm contact surface 4, a thermal conductive contact plate 5, a PCM holding part 6, a PCM 7, and a thermal coupling member 8. The upright support 3 is at a height that allows the user to contact the palm of their hand with its outer surface while standing, and does not have a seating bench. The thermal conductive contact plate 5 and the thermal coupling member 8 function as heat exchange members H for heat exchange between the palm contact surface 4 and the PCM 7.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 comprises a base 2 installed on the floor or ground, and an upright support 3 erected from the base 2. The outer circumferential surface of the upright support 3 is provided with a palm contact surface 4 that a user can contact with their palm while standing. Inside the upright support 3 is a heat exchange member H positioned on the back side of the palm contact surface 4, and a PCM holding part 6 that holds the PCM 7. The heat exchange member H and the PCM holding part 6 are thermally coupled either directly or via a heat conductive member. By positioning the PCM 7 on the back side of the palm contact surface 4, the latent heat of the PCM 7 can be used to mitigate temperature fluctuations of the palm contact surface 4, providing hot and cold stimulation for a certain period of time.

[0027] The palm contact surface 4 is a flat or curved portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upright support 3. The palm contact surface 4 can be formed in a flat, concave, convex, elliptical, or curved shape that conforms to the shape of the palm. The palm contact surface 4 has an area and shape that allows at least a portion of the user's palm to come into contact with it. Since the palm is hairless skin that is involved in heat exchange between the body and the external environment, maintaining the palm contact surface 4 at an appropriate cooling temperature promotes heat exchange with the blood flowing through the palm, contributing to a reduction in thermal burden in hot environments.

[0028] Here, the surface temperature of the palm contact surface 4 is set to a range that does not cause discomfort or skin damage to the user due to low temperature, and does not excessively reduce peripheral blood flow. The PCM 7 functions as a thermal buffer that mitigates rapid temperature changes of the thermally conductive contact plate 5 through its latent heat effect, maintaining a temperature range suitable for heat exchange with the palm. As shown in Figure 3, a water receiving section 23 may be provided below the palm contact surface 4 to receive condensation or water adhering to the palm contact surface 4. The water received by the water receiving section 23 can be discharged from the drainage section 24. This configuration prevents the user's clothing or the floor around the device from getting wet due to condensation or water adhering to it from the palm contact surface 4.

[0029] The thermally conductive contact plate 5 is formed from aluminum, stainless steel, copper or other metals, thermally conductive resin, ceramic, or a composite thereof. The thermal bonding member 8 can be formed from a metal plate, thermally conductive sheet, thermally conductive gel, heat pipe, thermally conductive fin, elastic thermal conductor, or a combination thereof.

[0030] The palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to this embodiment 1 is characterized by having a fixed PCM housing structure. In this fixed PCM housing structure, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the PCM holding section 6 functions as a PCM housing chamber 9 that permanently houses the PCM 7. The PCM 7 may be directly filled into the PCM housing chamber 9, or it may be sealed in a sealed bag, a thin plate-shaped container, a cell, or a small container and then fixedly placed in the PCM housing chamber 9.

[0031] When the upright support 3 is substantially cylindrical, the PCM housing chamber 9 can be configured as an annular or arc-shaped space along the circumferential direction of the upright support 3, multiple divided chambers extending in the vertical direction, or as an independent housing chamber for each palm contact surface 4.

[0032] The upright support 3 has a polygonal shape (a regular hexagon in this embodiment 1), a circular shape, or a substantially circular shape in its horizontal cross-section, and multiple palm contact surfaces 4 can be arranged along at least one of the circumferential direction and vertical direction of the outer surface of the upright support 3. That is, the upright support 3 is not limited to a perfect cylinder, but may have an elliptical cylinder, a polygonal cylinder, a cylindrical shape with rounded corners, or other shapes having a substantially circular cross-section.

[0033] The thermal insulation material 10 is positioned in the PCM housing chamber 9 on the side opposite to the palm contact surface 4, and has the function of preferentially transferring heat from the PCM 7 to the thermally conductive contact plate 5.

[0034] PCM7 is a thermal storage material that utilizes the absorption or release of latent heat associated with the phase change of a substance, and has the property of maintaining a temperature near a predetermined phase change temperature while undergoing a phase change, such as between a solid and a liquid. The phase change temperature of PCM7 can be set according to the cooling or heating application, installation environment, season of use, expected contact time, and desired surface temperature of the palm contact surface 4. Due to the latent heat effect of PCM7, rapid temperature changes of the thermally conductive contact plate 5 and the palm contact surface 4 can be mitigated, making it easier to maintain a predetermined temperature range suitable for heat exchange with the palm.

[0035] As PCM7, inorganic hydrated salt-based, organic-based, and other thermal storage materials can be used. In addition, PCM7 may contain, as needed, melting point adjusting materials to adjust the phase change temperature, supercooling prevention materials to suppress supercooling, phase separation prevention materials to suppress phase separation, and other additives.

[0036] Next, the heat exchange structure for the heating / cooling medium of the palm-contact heating / cooling tower 1 according to this embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the fixed PCM housing structure is provided with a heat exchange channel 11 through which a cooling medium flows, either inside the PCM housing chamber 9 or at a location where heat exchange with the PCM housing chamber 9 is possible (i.e., at a location where heat exchange with the PCM 7 housed in the PCM housing chamber 9 is possible). This heat exchange channel 11 can be formed in a spiral, meandering, or annular shape as shown in Figure 5(a), or in a straight line extending vertically, or in a plate or jacket shape as shown in Figure 5(b).

[0037] The heat exchange channel 11 has an inlet connected to a supply-side connection 12 to which the cold medium is supplied from the cold medium supply device 14, and an outlet connected to a return-side connection 13 to which the cold medium is returned to the cold medium supply device 14. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the base 2 is provided with a supply-side connection 12 and a return-side connection 13 that can be connected to the piping of the externally mounted cold medium supply device 14, as shown in Figure 6.

[0038] An example of a cooling / heating medium supply device 14 is a heat pump type chiller / heater that supplies cooling water during cooling operation and hot water during heating operation. This heat pump type chiller / heater may be installed integrally with the upright support 3, or it may be installed separately to supply the cooling / heating medium to one or more heating / cooling towers. With such a heat exchange structure for the cooling / heating medium, the palm-contact heating / cooling tower 1 can maintain the temperature of the PCM 7 within a predetermined range through heat exchange with the cooling water or hot water, and mitigate temperature fluctuations of the thermally conductive contact plate 5 via the PCM 7.

[0039] As described above, the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to this embodiment 1 comprises a base 2 installed on the floor or ground and an upright support 3 erected from the base 2. The outer circumferential surface of the upright support 3 is provided with a palm contact surface 4 that a user can contact with their palm while standing. The internal space of the upright support 3 comprises a heat exchange member H positioned on the back side of the palm contact surface 4 and a PCM holding part 6 that holds the PCM, and the heat exchange member H and the PCM holding part 6 are thermally coupled either directly or via a heat conductive member.

[0040] This configuration allows the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 to provide comfortable cooling or warming stimulation through the palm of the hand simply by placing the palm in contact with the surface, without requiring a large space such as a bench. In other words, the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 does not require a seating bench and can be installed in a space-saving manner. Furthermore, users can obtain cooling or warming stimulation in a short time simply by placing their palm in contact with the palm contact surface 4 while standing or passing by. In addition, by placing the palm, which is suitable for heat exchange, in contact with the palm contact surface 4 maintained at a predetermined temperature, heat dissipation from the body in hot environments can be promoted, contributing to the suppression of the rise in core body temperature or the reduction of thermal burden. Moreover, because the PCM 7 functions as a thermal buffer, it prevents the palm contact surface 4 from becoming excessively cold and from rapidly rising in temperature due to user contact, making it easier to maintain a temperature suitable for heat exchange with the palm. Furthermore, by thermally bonding the PCM 7 to the back side of the palm contact surface 4, rapid temperature fluctuations of the palm contact surface 4 can be mitigated.

[0041] Furthermore, the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to this embodiment 1 has a fixed PCM housing structure. In this fixed PCM housing structure, the PCM housing chamber 9 and heat exchange flow path 11 can be efficiently arranged by utilizing the approximately circular or approximately cylindrical internal space of the upright support 3. In addition, if a heat exchange structure for the cooling / heating medium is provided, the temperature of the PCM 7 can be maintained by cooling water or hot water supplied from a cooling / heating medium supply device 14 such as a heat pump. Moreover, by using a cooling PCM 7 or a heating PCM 7, it can be used in both summer and winter.

[0042] (Embodiment 2) A PCM thermal storage / heat storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. In comparison with the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to Embodiment 1, the PCM holding section of the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to Embodiment 2 is configured as a PCM cartridge housing chamber 16 that detachably houses a PCM cartridge containing PCM, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, for temporary use or in locations with power supply and piping constraints, a structure in which a pre-temperature-controlled PCM cartridge is detachably attached to the back surface of the palm-contact surface 4 is suitable.

[0043] Specifically, for permanent installations, the structure of the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 of Embodiment 1, in which the PCM 7 is fixedly housed in the internal space of the upright support 3 and the heat exchange channel 11 through which cooling water or hot water flows is positioned to exchange heat with the PCM 7, is suitable. On the other hand, for temporary installations or locations with power supply and piping constraints, the structure of the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to Embodiment 2, in which a pre-temperature-controlled PCM cartridge is detachably attached to the back of the palm-contact surface 4, is suitable. Although the holding configuration of the PCM 7 differs in these embodiments, they all share a common device structure that provides hot and cold stimulation to the user's palm through a combination of the upright support 3, palm-contact surface 4, heat-conductive contact plate 5, and PCM holding part 6.

[0044] The palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to this second embodiment is characterized by having a detachable PCM cartridge housing structure. In this detachable PCM cartridge housing structure, a pre-cooled or heated PCM cartridge 15 is inserted through the cartridge insertion port 17 and held tightly in place at a predetermined position by the guide portion 19 and the holding portion 20. If the cooling or heat storage capacity of the PCM cartridge 15 decreases, it can be replaced with another temperature-controlled PCM cartridge 15.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the removable PCM cartridge housing structure is formed by creating a PCM holding section 6 as a PCM cartridge housing chamber 16 that detachably houses a PCM cartridge 15 containing a PCM 7. The PCM cartridge housing chamber 16 is provided with a cartridge insertion opening 17 for inserting or removing the PCM cartridge 15.

[0046] The PCM cartridge 15 has a contact surface that corresponds to the shape of the heat exchange member H. Specifically, the PCM cartridge 15 has a contact surface 18 that corresponds to the back surface shape of the heat conductive contact plate 5 or the inner surface shape of the PCM cartridge housing chamber 16. The contact surface 18 can be formed in a planar, arc-shaped, partially cylindrical, concave, or convex shape.

[0047] The detachable upright support 3 is shaped to facilitate close contact between the PCM cartridge 15 and the thermally conductive contact plate 5. For example, it can be a substantially cylindrical shape with a flat surface on part of its outer circumference, a polygonal cylindrical shape with multiple flat surfaces, or a shape with a curved surface that follows the back of the palm contact surface 4.

[0048] Next, the cartridge guidance and contact holding structure will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. As shown in Figure 8, the PCM cartridge housing chamber 16 is provided with a guide section 19 for guiding the PCM cartridge 15 to a predetermined position, and a holding section 20 for contacting or pressing the PCM cartridge 15 against the thermally conductive contact plate 5 or the thermal coupling member 8. When the PCM cartridge 15 is installed, the contact surface 18 of the PCM cartridge 15 is in close contact with or pressed against the back side of the thermally conductive contact plate 5 via the thermal coupling member 8, enabling heat exchange between the PCM 7 inside the PCM cartridge 15 and the thermally conductive contact plate 5.

[0049] Here, the guide portion 19 can be formed by a guide groove, guide rail, fitting portion, uneven portion, tapered surface, or positioning pin. The holding portion 20 can be made by a spring, leaf spring, elastic member, cam, lever, screw, clamp, locking claw, magnet, opening / closing lid, or a combination thereof. As shown in Figure 9, the PCM cartridge housing chamber 16 may be provided with an opening / closing lid 21 and a retaining portion 22. Furthermore, the structure may be such that the PCM cartridge 15 is pressed toward the thermal conductive contact plate 5 in conjunction with the closing operation of the opening / closing lid 21.

[0050] Furthermore, the palm contact surface 4 and the PCM holding portion 6 can be arranged in multiple locations in the circumferential or vertical direction of the upright support 3, similar to the palm contact hot / cold tower 1 according to Embodiment 1 described above. By arranging multiple palm contact surfaces 4 at different heights, it is possible to accommodate users with different heights or usage postures, such as adults, children, and wheelchair users.

[0051] Below the palm contact surface 4, as shown in Figure 7, a water receiving section 23 and a drainage section 24 can be provided to receive condensation or adhering water, similar to the palm contact hot / cold tower 1 according to Embodiment 1 described above. In addition, a display section 25 can be provided to indicate the surface temperature of the palm contact surface 4, whether cooling or heating is available, or the replacement time for the PCM cartridge 15.

[0052] Next, examples of the arrangement and use of the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to these embodiments will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example in which multiple palm-contact surfaces 4 and PCM holding parts 6 are arranged in the circumferential or vertical direction of the upright support 3. Figure 11 shows a usage state in which a user is standing and has their palm in contact with the palm-contact surface 4. By setting up and using the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 in this way, a large space such as a bench is not required, and a user can obtain comfortable cooling or heating stimulation simply by standing and making contact with their palm.

[0053] As described above, the PCM holding section 6 of the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to this second embodiment is a PCM cartridge housing chamber 16 for detachably housing a PCM cartridge 15 containing a PCM 7. With this configuration, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment described above, the detachable PCM cartridge housing structure can be simplified by not providing a heat pump or hot / cold water piping in the main body of the device. Furthermore, the guide section 19 and the holding section 20 can hold the PCM cartridge 15 in close contact with or pressed against the thermally conductive contact plate 5, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency and mounting stability.

[0054] In addition, by combining the palm-contact hot / cold tower 1 according to these embodiments, it is possible to develop products with fixed PCM7, detachable PCM7, or a combination of both. Furthermore, by using a cooling PCM7 and a heating PCM7, it can be used in both summer and winter.

[0055] Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without changing the spirit of the invention. For example, in the PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower 1 according to the above embodiment, the upright support 3 may be configured to be substantially cylindrical, elliptical, polygonal, or cylindrical with rounded corners. The PCM housing chamber 9 may also be configured to be annular, arc-shaped, divided chamber-shaped, cell-shaped, or independent chambers for each palm-contact portion. The heat exchange flow path 11 may also be configured to be spiral, meandering, annular, tubular group-shaped, plate-shaped, or jacket-shaped. The PCM cartridge 15 may also be configured to be flat, arc-shaped, partially cylindrical, box-shaped, bag-shaped, or divided cell-shaped. A fixed PCM housing structure and a detachable PCM cartridge housing structure may also be installed on the same upright support. A cooling PCM cartridge and a heating PCM cartridge may also be selectively installed. Alternatively, the palm contact surface 4 may be provided on the outer periphery, side surface, or a flat or curved surface formed on a part of the outer periphery of the upright support 3. Alternatively, multiple upright support 3 may be provided on a single base 2, or a single heating / cooling medium supply device 14 may be connected to multiple upright support 3. Furthermore, the base 2 and the upright support 3 may be integrated, as long as they perform their function. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1 PCM Thermal Storage Palm Contact Hot and Cold Tower 2 bases 3 Upright support 4 Palm contact surface 5. Thermally conductive contact plate (heat exchange component) 6 PCM holding part 7 PCM 8. Thermal coupling member (heat exchange member) 9 PCM containment chamber 10. Insulation material 11 Heat exchange channel 12. Feed-side connection section 13. Return side connection 14. Refrigerated / heated medium supply device 15 PCM cartridges 16 PCM cartridge storage room 17 Cartridge slot 18 Contact surface 19 Information Department 20 Holding part 21 Opening and closing lid 22 Retaining part 23 Water receiving section 24 Drainage section 25 Display section H Heat exchanger

Claims

1. A PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower comprising a base installed on the floor or ground and an upright support erected from the base, The outer circumferential surface of the upright support is provided with a palm contact surface that allows the user to make contact with their palm while standing. The internal space of the upright support includes a heat exchange member positioned on the back side of the palm contact surface and a PCM holding portion that holds the PCM. A PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower characterized in that the heat exchange member and the PCM holding part are thermally coupled directly or via a thermal conductive member.

2. The PCM storage / heat storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to claim 1, characterized in that the PCM holding section is a PCM storage chamber that houses PCM directly or in a sealed state in a container.

3. Furthermore, the internal space of the upright support is provided with a heat exchange channel through which a cooling medium flows, positioned to exchange heat with the PCM held in the PCM holding section. The PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to claim 2, characterized in that the inlet of the heat exchange channel is connected to a supply-side connection part to which a thermal medium is supplied from a thermal medium supply device, and the outlet of the heat exchange channel is connected to a return-side connection part to which the thermal medium is returned to the thermal medium supply device.

4. The PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to claim 3, characterized in that the heat exchange channel is configured as at least one of a spiral, meandering, annular, or linear pipe, pipe group, plate channel, or jacket channel.

5. The PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm contact hot and cold tower according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchange member comprises a thermally conductive contact plate disposed on the back side of the palm contact surface and a thermal coupling member provided inside or on the back side of the thermally conductive contact plate.

6. The PCM storage unit is a PCM cartridge storage chamber that detachably houses a PCM cartridge containing a PCM, as described in claim 1.

7. In the aforementioned PCM cartridge housing chamber, A cartridge insertion port for inserting or removing the aforementioned PCM cartridge, A guide unit that guides the PCM cartridge to a predetermined position, The PCM thermal storage / heat storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to claim 6, further comprising a holding portion for closely adhering to or pressing and holding the PCM cartridge against the heat exchange member.

8. The PCM cartridge has a contact surface corresponding to the shape of the heat exchange member, The PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to claim 7, characterized in that the holding part includes at least one of a spring, an elastic member, a cam, a lever, a screw, a clamp, a locking claw, a magnet, and an opening / closing lid.

9. Furthermore, the PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is characterized in that it is further provided with a water receiving portion below the palm contact surface for receiving condensed water or adhering water.

10. The PCM thermal storage / thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the upright support has a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or a substantially circular shape in its horizontal cross-section.

11. The PCM thermal storage palm-contact hot and cold tower according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a plurality of palm contact surfaces are arranged along at least one of the circumferential direction or the vertical direction of the outer peripheral surface of the upright support.

12. The PCM cooling / heat storage palm-contact heating tower according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the PCM holding portion is a PCM housing chamber, and the PCM housing chamber is arranged as an annular, arc-shaped, or multiple divided chambers along the circumferential direction of the upright support.

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