Peltier-based cooling air spray device and energy irradiation device including same

Abstract

The present invention is characterized by comprising: a dehumidification module for dehumidifying air that has flowed in from the outside; an air pump for transferring air supplied from the dehumidification module; an air cooling unit for cooling the transferred air; an air hose for discharging the cooled air to the outside; and a processor for applying a reverse voltage to the air cooling unit in order to remove at least one of frost, moisture, or foreign substances, formed in the air cooling unit, according to a preset criterion, wherein the processor operates a cooling air spray device in a preset time period.

Description

Peltier-based cooling air injection device and energy irradiation device including the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to skin treatment technology. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a Peltier-based cooling air injection device that can be mounted on a skin treatment device and an energy irradiation device including the same.

[0002] Skin care devices are being developed to keep skin clean by removing wrinkles, restoring elasticity, and removing sebum. Clean skin makes people look younger and contributes to an attractive appearance.

[0003] Skin care devices utilize at least one of the following methods: delivering ultrasound to the skin (HIFU type), delivering high-frequency energy (RF type), or delivering laser light to the skin (optical type). Because skin care devices deliver energy to the skin, they can generate heat, so they often include a cooling air injection module to lower the skin temperature.

[0004] However, in the case of the cooling air injection module applied to the conventional skin care device, there was a problem of ice or foreign substances accumulating inside, which caused the cooling process not to be performed accurately or caused the cooling module to malfunction.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a method for effectively removing one or more of ice, moisture and foreign substances generated by a cooling air spray device used to prevent an increase in temperature inside a device or an increase in temperature of a target area of ​​the skin.

[0006] The problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0007] In order to solve the above-described problem, a Peltier-based cooling air injection device according to the present disclosure comprises: a dehumidifying module for dehumidifying air brought in from the outside; an air pump for transporting air supplied from the dehumidifying module; an air cooling unit for cooling the transported air; an air hose for discharging the cooled air to the outside; and a processor for applying a reverse voltage to the air cooling unit to remove at least one of ice, moisture, and foreign substances formed in the air cooling unit according to a preset standard, wherein the processor may be characterized in that it operates the cooling air injection device in the preset time interval.

[0008] The processor further includes a solenoid valve for setting the air circulation direction to forward or reverse, and when a reverse voltage is applied to the air cooling unit, the processor can set the air circulation direction of the solenoid valve to the reverse direction so that the air flow of the air pump is set to the reverse direction.

[0009] A drainage tank may be arranged between the air cooling unit and the air pump, and when the circulation direction of the air is reversed, at least one of freezing, moisture, and foreign substances may be discharged through the drainage tank.

[0010] The above dehumidification module may be characterized by dehumidifying air introduced from the outside based on at least one of a Peltier, compressor, and desiccant driving method.

[0011] In order to lower the temperature of the Peltier heat sink included in the above air cooling unit, at least one of a cooling water cooling unit, an air cooling unit, a gas cooling unit, and a cooling unit using a cooling fan is included, and the cooling water cooling unit may include at least one of a cooling water pump, a cooling water heat sink, and a DC fan.

[0012] In addition, in an energy irradiation device that irradiates energy to the skin, including a Peltier-based cooling air irradiation device according to the present disclosure, the cooling air irradiation device includes a dehumidifying module that dehumidifies air brought in from the outside; an air pump that transports air supplied from the dehumidifying module; an air cooling unit that cools the transported air; an air hose that discharges the cooled air to the outside; and a processor that applies a reverse voltage to the air cooling unit to remove at least one of ice, moisture, and foreign substances formed in the air cooling unit according to a preset standard, and the processor may be characterized in that it operates the cooling air irradiation device in the preset time section.

[0013] The processor may further include a solenoid valve for setting the air circulation direction to forward or reverse, and may be characterized in that when a reverse voltage is applied to the air cooling unit, the air flow of the air pump is set to reverse, thereby setting the air circulation direction of the solenoid valve to the reverse direction.

[0014] A drainage tank may be arranged between the air cooling unit and the air pump, and when the circulation direction of the air is reversed, at least one of freezing, moisture, and foreign substances may be discharged through the drainage tank.

[0015] The above dehumidification module may be characterized by dehumidifying air introduced from the outside based on at least one of a Peltier, compressor, and desiccant driving method.

[0016] In order to lower the temperature of the Peltier heat sink included in the above air cooling unit, at least one of a cooling water cooling unit, an air cooling unit, a gas cooling unit, and a cooling unit using a cooling fan is included, and the cooling water cooling unit may include at least one of a cooling water pump, a cooling water heat sink, and a DC fan.

[0017] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is provided to effectively remove at least one of ice, moisture, and foreign matter generated by a cooling air jet device provided in an energy irradiation device, thereby enabling efficient use of the cooling air jet device and the energy irradiation device. Furthermore, by effectively using the cooling air jet device and the energy irradiation device, the user's skin temperature increase can be calmed, and the user's pain can be effectively alleviated.

[0018] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a drawing schematically illustrating a Peltier-based cooling air injection device and an energy irradiation device including the same according to the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 2 shows the configuration and process flow of a cooling air injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the operating principle of an air cooling unit, which is a configuration of a cooling air injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining each configuration of an air cooling unit provided in a cooling air injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a process for discharging cooling air to the skin from a cooling air injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0024] FIGS. 6 and 7 are drawings illustrating different processes for discharging moisture and foreign substances inside a cooling air injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Throughout this disclosure, the same reference numerals denote the same components. This disclosure does not describe all elements of the embodiments, and any content that is common in the technical field to which this disclosure pertains or that overlaps between embodiments is omitted. The terms "part, module, element, block" used in the specification may be implemented in software or hardware, and depending on the embodiments, multiple "parts, modules, elements, blocks" may be implemented as a single component, or a single "part, module, element, block" may include multiple components.

[0026] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only direct connection but also indirect connection, and indirect connection includes connection via a wireless communication network.

[0027] Additionally, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0028] Throughout the specification, when we say that an element is "on" another element, this includes not only cases where the element is in contact with the other element, but also cases where another element exists between the two elements.

[0029] The terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by the aforementioned terms.

[0030] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0031] The identification codes for each step are used for convenience of explanation and do not describe the order of each step. Each step may be performed in a different order than specified unless the context clearly indicates a specific order.

[0032] The operating principle and embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a drawing schematically illustrating a Peltier-based cooling air injection device (100) according to the present disclosure and an energy irradiation device (1000) including the same.

[0034] The energy irradiation device (1000) is a device that irradiates energy to the skin for skin beauty, and can be implemented as one or more of a type that transmits ultrasound to the skin (HIFU type), a type that transmits high frequency to the skin (RF type), and a type that transmits laser light to the skin (Optical type).

[0035] The cooling air injection device (100) that can be mounted on the energy investigation device (1000) is a device that injects cooling air to reduce skin temperature rise during skin treatment and alleviate pain at the treatment site. In the present specification, the cooling air injection device (100) may be implemented based on a Peltier device, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0036] Figure 2 shows the configuration and process flow of a cooling air injection device (100) according to the present disclosure.

[0037] The cooling air injection device (100) may include a dehumidifying module (110), an air pump (120), a solenoid valve (130), a drain (140), an air cooling unit (150), an air hose (160), a cooling water cooling unit (170), and a control unit (190) (hereinafter referred to as “processor”). The configurations of the cooling air injection device (100) illustrated in FIG. 2 are not essential for implementing the cooling air injection device (100) according to the present disclosure, and thus the cooling air injection device (100) described herein may have more or fewer components than the components listed above.

[0038] The dehumidification module (110) is a module for lowering or removing moisture in external air when external air is introduced, and can dehumidify external air based on a Peltier driving method, but the dehumidification method varies depending on the embodiment.

[0039] In an embodiment, the dehumidification module (110) may be driven by one of a compressor, a desiccant, and a hybrid. A dehumidification module driven by a compressor may perform a dehumidification function through the stages of adsorption, compression, cooling, condensation, and exhaust. A desiccant-driven dehumidification module may perform a dehumidification function by using a material that absorbs water vapor well (e.g., silica gel). A dehumidification module driven by a hybrid may perform a dehumidification function in a hybrid manner by applying one of the above-described Peltier, compressor, and desiccant driving methods.

[0040] The air pump (120) can move air drawn in from the dehumidification module (110) to the air cooling unit (150) and the air hose (160). The air pump (120) can set the air circulation direction to forward or reverse, and the air circulation direction can be set to reverse using a solenoid valve (130) arranged in the air circulation direction of the air pump (120). In order for the air circulation direction to be set to forward or reverse, the air circulation path can be secured with a material such as a pipe, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0041] The solenoid valve (130) can be used to change the air flow direction to forward or reverse by being controlled by the processor (190) or the air pump (120). That is, the solenoid valve (130) can set the direction of air circulation of the cooling air injection device to forward or reverse. The solenoid valve (130) can control the flow of fluid by opening or closing the plunger accordingly when the solenoid coil receives an electrical signal.

[0042] A solenoid valve (130) is a valve that operates by an electrical signal, and can control the opening and closing operation of the valve by using an electromagnetic field generated by flowing a current in an electric flux.

[0043] The drain (140) is arranged between the air cooling unit (150) and the air pump (120), and is configured to drain between the air solenoid valve (130) and the air hose (160). The drain (140) may be arranged at a location where any one or more of ice, moisture, and foreign substances moving through the air circulation passage fall.

[0044] The air cooling unit (150) includes a Peltier heat sink (151), a Peltier element (153), and a cooling module (155), and can cool the transported air.

[0045] A Peltier heat sink (151) is a configuration for controlling heat and temperature using heat transfer, and can be used to electrically transfer heat using the Peltier effect. The Peltier effect is an effect that causes heat transfer when two types of independent electrically conductive materials are connected and current is passed through them. When current flows, heat is transferred from one side to the other, which can cool one side and heat the other.

[0046] The Peltier element (153) can simultaneously generate and absorb heat. The cooling module (155) can cool at least one of freezing, moisture, and foreign substances.

[0047] The air hose (160) can discharge air cooled by the air cooling unit (150) to the outside, and can be used to lower the temperature of the skin during skin treatment.

[0048] The air hose (160) may be implemented as a single hose or a double-insulated hose, and may be implemented as any one of soft urethane, urethane, and Teflon hoses, but is not limited thereto. If the air hose (160) is implemented as a double-insulated hose, rubber foam insulation or silicone may be additionally used, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0049] The coolant cooling unit (170) may include a coolant heat sink (171), a DC (direct current) fan, and a coolant pump (175), and is configured to lower the temperature of the Peltier heat sink (151) whose temperature has increased. A similar effect can be achieved through an air cooling unit instead of the coolant cooling unit.

[0050] In an embodiment, the coolant cooling unit (170) may be implemented in a water-cooling method using water, an oil-cooling method using oil, etc.

[0051] In an embodiment, the processor (190) may monitor the temperature of the Peltier heat sink (151) of the air cooling unit (150) and, if it exceeds a preset temperature, drive the coolant cooling unit (170) to lower the temperature of the Peltier heat sink.

[0052] In an embodiment, a cooling unit of a different type may be applied instead of the cooling water cooling unit (170), and any one of air-cooled refrigeration-based cooling, gas cooling, natural cooling, and cooling fan cooling may be applied.

[0053] The processor (190) is a module that controls the overall configuration and process of the cooling air injection device (100). The processor (190) can apply a reverse voltage to the Peltier element (153) to remove one or more of ice, moisture, and foreign substances formed in the air cooling unit (150) according to preset criteria.

[0054] When the processor (190) applies reverse voltage to the Peltier element (153), the direction of air circulation of the solenoid valve (130) can be set in the reverse direction so that the air flow of the air pump (120) is set in the reverse direction. When the direction of air circulation is reversed, at least one of freezing, moisture, and foreign substances can be discharged through the drain.

[0055] That is, the processor (190) can increase the temperature of the cooling module (155) of the air cooling unit (150) by applying a reverse voltage to the Peltier element (153), and can separate one or more of the ice, moisture, and foreign substances formed around the cooling module (155) from the cooling module (155). After the processor (190) adjusts the air circulation direction to the reverse direction, the air circulation direction is changed by the air pump (120), and one or more of the ice, moisture, and foreign substances can fall into the drain (140). Accordingly, the inside of the cooling air injection device (100) is naturally cleaned, the performance of the cooling process can be effective, malfunction can be prevented, and problems due to leakage can be prevented in advance.

[0056] In an embodiment, the drain pan (140) may be formed with a mesh-like cover so that at least one of ice, moisture, and foreign substances may be filtered out by the cover of the drain pan (140) placed in the air circulation passage. The drain pan (140) may be formed so that at least one of ice pieces, moisture, and foreign substances may fall into the drain pan, and at least one of moisture and foreign substances that do not fall but move along the air circulation path may be secondarily filtered by the cover of the drain pan (140). The cover of the drain pan (140) may be opened in the direction of the air circulation passage in the reverse direction.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the operating principle of the air cooling unit (150), which is a configuration of the cooling air injection device (100) according to the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining each configuration of the air cooling unit (150) provided in the cooling air injection device (100) according to the present disclosure.

[0058] The Peltier element (153) is configured to simultaneously generate heat and absorb heat, and may include a P-type semiconductor (A1), an N-type semiconductor (A2), an insulating component (A3, for example, ceramic), an electrode (A4, for example, Cu), etc. A Peltier heat sink (151) may be placed on the heat-generating side of the Peltier element (153), and a cooling module (155) may be placed on the heat-absorbing side.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a process for discharging cooling air to the skin of a cooling air spray device (100) according to the present disclosure.

[0060] The air pump (120) can transfer air to the air cooling unit (150) when external air (air) is introduced.

[0061] After cooling the outside air through the Peltier element (153) and cooling module (155) of the air cooling unit (150), the cooled air can be discharged to the outside through the air hose (160). In an embodiment, the cooled air discharged to the outside can be used to lower the temperature of the skin.

[0062] FIGS. 6 and 7 are drawings for explaining different processes for discharging moisture and foreign substances inside a cooling air injection device (100) according to the present disclosure.

[0063] Referring to Fig. 6, when the air direction is set in the reverse direction from the air pump (120), external air can be introduced into the air hose (160). The processor (190) applies reverse voltage to the air cooling unit (150) to heat the cooling module (155), and one or more of the moisture and foreign substances attached to the cooling module (155) can be separated and dropped into a drain in the direction of the air.

[0064] Referring to Fig. 7, the air pump (120) can supply external air to the hose connection terminal (160A). The air hose (160) can supply the external air supplied through the hose connection terminal (160A) to the air cooling unit (150).

[0065] By applying reverse voltage to the air cooling unit (150), the cooling module (155) is heated so that at least one of high temperature and humidity moisture and foreign substances can be removed through the drain.

[0066] The above-described cooling air injection device (100) can be included in the energy investigation device (1000), and the energy investigation device (1000) can operate the cooling air injection device (100) in the preset time interval.

[0067] For example, the energy irradiation device (1000) may irradiate energy to the skin several times, and then periodically operate the cooling air spray device (100) to provide cooling air to the skin, or when the temperature of the skin exceeds a preset temperature, operate the cooling air spray device (100) to provide cooling air to the skin, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0068] The disclosed embodiments have been described with reference to the attached drawings as described above. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure can be implemented in forms other than the disclosed embodiments without altering the technical spirit or essential features of the present disclosure. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

1. A dehumidifying module that dehumidifies air brought in from outside; An air pump for transporting air supplied from the above dehumidifying module; An air cooling unit for cooling the above-mentioned transported air; an air hose for discharging the cooled air to the outside; and A processor for applying reverse voltage to the air cooling unit to remove one or more of ice, moisture and foreign substances formed in the air cooling unit according to preset criteria, The above processor, A Peltier-based cooling air injection device, characterized in that the cooling air injection device operates during the preset time interval.

2. In paragraph 1, It further includes a solenoid valve for setting the circulation direction of the air to forward or reverse, The above processor, A Peltier-based cooling air injection device, characterized in that when a reverse voltage is applied to the air cooling unit, the air circulation direction of the solenoid valve is set to the reverse direction so that the air flow of the air pump is set to the reverse direction.

3. In paragraph 2, A drain is placed between the air cooling unit and the air pump, A Peltier-based cooling air injection device, characterized in that when the circulation direction of the air is reversed, at least one of freezing, moisture, and foreign substances is discharged through the drain.

4. In paragraph 1, The above dehumidifying module, A Peltier-based cooling air injection device characterized in that it dehumidifies air introduced from the outside based on at least one of a Peltier, compressor and desiccant driving method.

5. In paragraph 1, In order to lower the temperature of the Peltier heat sink included in the above air cooling unit, at least one of a cooling water cooling unit, an air cooling unit, a gas cooling unit, and a cooling unit using a cooling fan is included. The above cooling water cooling unit, A Peltier-based cooling air injection device comprising one or more of a coolant pump, a coolant heat sink and a DC fan.

6. An energy irradiation device including a Peltier-based cooling air injection device and irradiating energy to the skin, The above cooling air injection device, A dehumidifying module that dehumidifies air brought in from outside; An air pump for transporting air supplied from the above dehumidifying module; An air cooling unit for cooling the above-mentioned transported air; an air hose for discharging the cooled air to the outside; and A processor for applying reverse voltage to the air cooling unit to remove one or more of ice, moisture and foreign substances formed in the air cooling unit according to preset criteria, The above processor, An energy investigation device characterized in that the cooling air injection device is operated during the preset time interval.

7. In paragraph 6, It further includes a solenoid valve for setting the circulation direction of the air to forward or reverse, The above processor, An energy investigation device characterized in that when a reverse voltage is applied to the air cooling unit, the air circulation direction of the solenoid valve is set in the reverse direction so that the air flow of the air pump is set in the reverse direction.

8. In paragraph 7, A drain is placed between the air cooling unit and the air pump, An energy investigation device characterized in that when the circulation direction of the air is reversed, at least one of freezing, moisture, and foreign substances is discharged through the drain.

9. In paragraph 6, The above dehumidifying module, An energy investigation device characterized in that it dehumidifies air introduced from the outside based on at least one of a Peltier, compressor and desiccant driving method.

10. In paragraph 6, In order to lower the temperature of the Peltier heat sink included in the above air cooling unit, at least one of a cooling water cooling unit, an air cooling unit, a gas cooling unit, and a cooling unit using a cooling fan is included. The above cooling water cooling unit, An energy research device comprising one or more of a coolant pump, a coolant heat sink, and a DC fan.

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